Man Charged for Faking Identity to Board Alaska Cruise
One man couldn’t resist the call of the Alaska cruise season – and was willing to break the law to get onboard. Now, his alleged crimes are catching up to him.
Enrico Ronquillo, a citizen of the Philippines who has legally been living in the US, has been indicted on charges of stealing the identity of an actual US citizen and impersonating them in order to embark on a cruise to Alaska.
The 37-year-old used a fraudulent California’s driver’s license and California birth certificate in order to gain access to the ship and while onboard from May 11-14, 2025.
He also allegedly created a fraudulent IRS Form W-9 using the same victim’s personal information – which is a form used to request a Taxpayer Identification Number.
It’s not clear which cruise ship the accused was sailing on or how his misdeeds were caught – but the US District Attorney for Alaska will be prosecuting him.
“Ronquillo is charged with one count of false impersonation of a citizen of the US, one count of making and using a false document, and two counts of aggravated identity theft,” reads a press release from the US Attorney’s Office in Alaska.
“The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a US Magistrate Judge of the US District Court for the District of Alaska,” the release continued.
If Ronquillo is found guilty, he faces a minimum of two years in prison for both of the “aggravated identity theft” charges and an additional five years and a $250,000 fee for the other charges.
It’s unclear what motivated the accused to steal an identity in order to cruise – as people from around the world are able to embark on sailings with no issue.
Philippine nationals normally just need a valid passport and a visa (depending on their destination) in order to travel – although his specific circumstances are unknown.
More Passengers Under Arrest
Lately, Alaska seems like a hot spot for naughty cruise passengers – with another guest arrested not long ago in Ketchikan, Alaska, on June 12, 2025.
As cruise ships are legally considered ports of entry, routine background checks are often conducted as part of the ID verification process – and active warrants can and do pop up.
This time, a wanted woman named Karen Bryan – who had an outstanding warrant – was flagged while attempting to re-board her cruise ship.
She was taken into custody on the spot and will be extradited back to Laramie, Wyoming – where she is accused of embezzling money from a local church.
“Our deputies are responsible for picking up wanted fugitives throughout the United States. There was one person who was wanted her locally for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from a church,” Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak said in a statement.
“She was contacted by law enforcement in Alaska as she was boarding a cruise ship, and has been arrested,” Kozak added.
Read Also: 15 Most Annoying Things People Do on Cruises
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a couple was arrested in Ibiza, Spain, for trying to avoid paying a hefty bar tab they had racked up while onboard.
The unidentified couple were arrested by the Spanish National Police after essentially trying to dine and dash – or in this case, disembarking really quickly to try to avoid settling their account.
Their total unpaid bill was for €3,196 (approximately $3,630 USD) – and it’s not clear how long their sailing was or which cruise ship they had come from.
However, there is no reason to let your onboard purchases exceed what you can (or are willing to) pay – as it’s easy to keep track of your account status in the cruise line apps, by visiting guest services, and often by checking your folio on your stateroom TV.