Costa Rica has been pulled into a high-profile legal dispute in Texas involving Peter M. Holt, the former controlling owner of the San Antonio Spurs, and his former yacht captain, Jay Jones. The case centers on dueling civil lawsuits in Texas. Jones alleges Holt pressured him to buy and transport controlled substances, including Xanax and Provigil, from Costa Rica into the United States. Holt denies the claims and argues they are part of an extortion effort by a former employee.
Jones’ petition, filed in Harris County, Texas, names Holt and several Holt-linked companies as defendants. It claims Jones worked for Holt for more than 11 years as a yacht captain and later became involved in activities he says exposed him to possible criminal liability. The filing alleges that Holt used his position to pressure Jones to obtain drugs abroad and bring them through Houston.
The Costa Rica link appears several times in the complaint. Jones alleges that in December 2024 Holt asked him if he could obtain Provigil and Xanax from a pharmacy in Costa Rica, saying his prescription medication had been left in the United States. Jones claims he went to a nearby pharmacy, showed his passport, and acquired small amounts of the medications. The complaint says a similar request followed later that month.
The allegations escalated in 2025. Jones claims Holt later asked him to take Xanax and Provigil out of Costa Rica on a commercial flight and bring them into the United States through George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The complaint also alleges that Holt later asked Jones to hide medication aboard the yacht Adventurer before it crossed the Panama Canal.
Jones further alleges he made additional trips connected to Costa Rica in 2025 and eventually refused to keep personally transporting the drugs. The complaint says he resigned after deciding the work conditions had become untenable and dangerous to his career, freedom, and U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license.
Holt’s side presents a sharply different version. His attorneys deny the drug-smuggling allegations and say Jones tried to use the claims to extract money. Holt’s lawsuit accuses Jones of fraud, theft, and breach of fiduciary duty, including allegations that he improperly used company funds for personal benefit.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that Holt’s side says he made one request involving Xanax and Provigil and that the medications were prescribed. The same report said Jones alleges the requests were part of a broader pattern that included instructions to hide drugs in yacht compartments or luggage.
It has also been reported that Costa Rica’s Immigration and Foreigners Directorate said it had no recent records of Holt entering the country. The outlet said it could not determine whether Jones had been in Costa Rica.
The dispute remains in civil court. Jones is seeking damages for wrongful termination, emotional distress, lost pay, and harm to his career. Holt is seeking damages in his own lawsuit and denies the central allegations against him. No formal criminal charges were found in the public reports reviewed, and the claims have not been proven in court.
