Royal Caribbean Cruise passenger was asphyxiated by security guards just like George Floyd after being served 33 drinks, deceased's lawyer says

After Michael Virgil's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruise earlier this week, their lawyer, Kevin Haynes has made another revelation to TMZ. 

Per Haynes, over-intoxication wasn't the only cause behind Michael Virgil's death on his first day of cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas. 

He told the media outlet that in an attempt to restrain a drunk and agitated Michael on the cruise, the security personnel put their full weight on him, essentially "asphyxiating" him for roughly three minutes. 

The asphyxiation, coupled with the amount of alcohol and sedatives in Michael's body, ultimately led to his death, both Haynes as well as the LA County medical examiner states. The attorney even mentioned that Virgil's homicide "had echoes of George Floyd". 

Man’s Death has been Ruled A Homicide After Royal Caribbean Allegedly Served Him 33 Drinks
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Haynes also told TMZ about the refusal of Royal Caribbean to turn over the surveillance footage of the cruise ship's bar where Virgil was served at least 33 alcoholic drinks. 

For the unversed, Michael Virgil boarded Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas last year, on December 13, 2024, along with his fiancee, Connie Aguilar, and their son - who is autistic. They boarded the cruise in Los Angeles and had reserved the journey till Ensenada, Mexico.

However, on the very first night, after Connie took their son to a room and Virgil waited behind in a bar, he was overserved 33 alcoholic drinks, which made him overly intoxicated. 

Clearly out of his senses, the 35-year-old then left the bar, walking through the lobby as he attempted to find his room. After a few failed attempts, Virgil became agitated, took off his t-shirt, and started kicking at the doors of several rooms. 

It was at that point that multiple staff members from the cruise staff appeared to tackle and restrain him. In the process, Michael ended up losing his life.

​Michael Virgil was injected with sedatives; pepper sprays were also used 

Connie Aguilera's lawsuit alleges that Michael Virgil's death couldn't have simply been caused by alcohol, as his system contained Haloperidol at the time of his death. 

Haloperidol, which is a prescription medication used in treating psychotic disorders, was injected into Virgil's body as a sedative on the ship captain's orders. 

In addition to Haloperidol, multiple cans of pepper spray were also used on him. 

After his autopsy, the medical examiner wrote in Michael's report that his death was caused by the "combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly, and ethanol intoxication". The asphyxia was an outcome of "body compression during restraint by multiple ship security personnel". 

However, in the face of the lawsuit, the Royal Caribbean Group continues to avoid accountability of Michael Virgil's death. A spokesperson for the group told CBS News:

"We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation."

Aguilera's lawsuit also condemns the company's deliberate marketing of "all you can drink" beverage packages that promotes negligent overservice of alcohol.