Nine Men Arrested Over Alleged Drug Smuggling Ahead Of Atlantis Gay Cruise In Miami

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Nine men were arrested at PortMiami on Sunday after law enforcement officers said narcotics were discovered in their luggage as they attempted to board a large-scale Atlantis Events cruise.

Central Park on Symphony of the Seas

The arrests occurred shortly before the scheduled departure of Symphony of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises and chartered for a weeklong Caribbean itinerary by Atlantis Events. The sailing had been promoted by organisers as the world’s largest gay festival at sea and was expected to carry more than 5,000 passengers.

US Customs and Border Protection officers were conducting outbound baggage screening at Terminal A using trained detection dogs when several suitcases were flagged for inspection. Once suspected controlled substances were identified, the cases were referred to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, whose Narcotics Interdiction Squad assisted with arrests and processing.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Joseph R. Peguero Rivera said deputies were called to PortMiami at approximately 6 pm on Sunday to support the federal operation.

“MDSO arrested a total of nine individuals on various drug-related charges,” he said.

Charges Linked To MDMA And Other Substances

According to arrest reports and court records, authorities seized a range of illegal substances during the operation, including MDMA, LSD and cocaine.

Documents also reference ketamine, methamphetamine and GBL, a chemical commonly associated with GHB that can cause unconsciousness and respiratory suppression.

Symphony of the Seas sailing on the ocean

Across all nine cases, arrest affidavits describe a similar process involving outbound luggage screening, secondary inspection by Customs and Border Protection, field testing of suspected substances and subsequent arrest. All defendants were booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Scrutiny On Drug Use During Party Sailings

The Symphony of the Seas was preparing to depart on a charter sailing organised by Atlantis Events, a West Hollywood-based company that has built a major following through large-scale LGBTQ+ cruises that combine traditional itineraries with nightclub-style programming and late-night parties.

While the voyages are promoted as inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ travellers, they have also been linked to a number of serious medical emergencies in recent years. Sources familiar with past incidents have pointed to multiple “code alpha” alerts during Atlantis-chartered cruises, some of which were believed to involve drug overdoses.

In January 2024, 36-year-old Jonathan Mindrum from Chicago died aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas during an Atlantis-chartered sailing after a medical emergency was announced over the ship’s public address system.

Royal Caribbean and Atlantis Events later described the death as “unexpected and not suspicious”, though Mindrum’s family said they were left with limited information about the circumstances.

That incident followed other fatalities associated with Atlantis charters, including a passenger death in 2022 and the death of a 46-year-old Florida man in 2020 who fell overboard during a sailing.

The arrests at PortMiami have reignited debate over drug use on party-oriented cruises, particularly given the limited medical facilities available at sea and the challenges of emergency evacuations when ships are far from shore.

Atlantis Events did not respond to requests for comment regarding the arrests or its safety policies. Royal Caribbean Cruises and the US Department of Homeland Security also did not issue statements.

Randle Roper, founder and chief experience officer of LGBTQ+ travel company VACAYA and a former Atlantis executive producer, said his company takes a strict stance on illegal substances.

“We take a zero-tolerance approach to illegal substances, not from judgment, but from lived experience and concern for our community’s safety and future,” Roper said. “Life at sea carries real legal and medical risks, and no vacation is worth that cost.”

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