The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) arrested five men on various drug charges on Sunday, February 1, 2026. The men were arrested prior to boarding Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, which was hosting an Atlantis Events cruise from February 1 to February 8.
Detection dogs at PortMiami flagged the men’s luggage for suspected drugs prior to boarding, according to local news. Royal Caribbean’s security team notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who conducted a more thorough screening, which included pat-downs and narcotic identification systems.
Between the five men, CBP officers found 47.36 grams of methamphetamine, 24.4 grams of ketamine, 35.6 grams of MDMA, and 80 grams of GBL. CBP officers referred the cases to local law enforcement after determining the drug quantities were too low for Homeland Security Investigations to handle.
The men were subsequently arrested and face various drug charges. Four of the men face drug trafficking charges and have bonds set between $5,000 and $7,000. The fifth man faces a possession of a controlled substance charge and was released without having to post bail. Maritime law will not apply in these cases, as the men were arrested in port and never boarded the cruise ship.
What relationship the men have with each other, if any, is unclear at this time.
CruiseLawNews has previously written about the dangers of drug use during Atlantis Events cruises. There have been numerous drug overdosages and deaths on Royal Caribbean cruise ships associated with Atlantis Events over the last 15-16 years.
Cruise ships do not have the appropriate medical staff or equipment to handle drug overdoses. Multiple drug overdoses can overwhelm a cruise ship’s already inadequate healthcare system.
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