As festival-goers ready to set sail for Groove Cruise in late-January, authorities arrested a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Workplace Deputy for allegedly possessing, promoting and trafficking medicine, WSVN 7News reviews.
Legislation enforcement officers say they realized Francisco Melo had plans to distribute MDMA through the four-day pageant aboard Royal Caribbean’s Attract of the Seas. In accordance with an arrest warrant, investigators used a confidential informant to buy MDMA from Melo previous to his arrest.
The undercover officer revealed that Melo supposed to carry his illicit stock onto the ship in a Skittles packet, disguising the medicine as sweet to evade detection. Detectives reportedly arrested him at PortMiami, the place they found 60 MDMA drugs in his baggage.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz condemned Melo’s actions.
“Narcotics don’t just harm those who use them, they devastate families, and fuel crime,” Cordero-Stutz mentioned in a press release. “The actions of this individual are a betrayal of the public trust and of all the deputies who work tirelessly to protect our community.”
Groove Cruise, which celebrated its twentieth anniversary final yr, has turn into a staple of the digital dance music pageant scene. The occasion’s 2025 version occurred January 23-27 and featured headlining performances by Eric Prydz, Seven Lions, James Hype, MEDUZA and Nicole Moudaber.
