French news reports state that Alexandre Rodriguez, chairman of Rodriguez Group, is in police custody on suspicion of participating in organized crime.


According to Les Echos and other media, Rodriguez and 20 other people were arrested over the weekend on charges that include money laundering. Four yachts were seized during the operation, along with large quantities of cash, false documentation, and handguns. It was not clear in the news reports whether the cash and other items were aboard the yachts or related to them. The newspaper further reported that Rodriguez could be held through this evening, as conspiracy charges permit a person to be held up to 96 hours.


Rodriguez Group is the parent company for the Mangusta line of yachts and superyachts. It also owns Camper & Nicholsons. Neither the shipyards nor the brokerage firm are under investigation. Rodriguez Group is also a publicly traded company and requested trading of its shares be suspended on Tuesday, pending a statement to be released. Thus far no word has come from the company, but we are continuing to follow developments and will update accordingly.

Written by: Diane Byrne
Diane M. Byrne is the founder and editor of the daily updated website Megayacht News. A longtime yachting writer, she also contributes to Yachts International, Boat Exclusive, and other magazines. She is additionally a member of the International Superyacht Society Board of Directors and Vice Chair of the U.S. Superyacht Association.