Career
Sanes Rodríguez"s death sparked the organization of the Cause for Vieques and a series of protests by residents and activists that culminated in the United States Navy abandoning Vieques. Sanes Rodríguez was a civilian employee of the United States Navy, working as a security guard at the Navy"s Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility on Vieques. Sanes Rodríguez was killed when two errant 500 lb Mk 82 bombs from a Marine F/A-18C Hornet fighter landed 100 yards from a clearly identified hilltop observation post in which Sanes Rodríguez was working.
The names of the pilots involved have never been revealed.
Known amongst his friends for his happy-go-lucky, partying lifestyle, in death, Sanes Rodríguez became a household name in Puerto Rico. His funeral received widespread media coverage, including United States. newspapers and international television networks.