9 cruise passengers arrested for drug trafficking, possession in Miami

Nine travelers were arrested on drug charges while boarding a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship in Miami.

“Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) Narcotics Interdiction Squad was requested to assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a drug enforcement bust at Port Miami” on Feb. 1, police told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.

The ship was departing for an Atlantis charter cruise billed as “The World’s Biggest Gay Festival At Sea,” per its website. Scheduled stops included Puerto Rico and St. Maarten before the ship returns to Miami on Feb. 8, according to CruiseMapper.

Court records show that nine travelers ranging in age from 27 to 51 were charged in connection with alleged drug offenses involving substances such as ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, methamphetamine, GHB and GBL, with all facing possession charges and four of them accused of trafficking. According to the records, almost all individuals were charged with possessing combinations of these drugs. Attorneys for four of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and court documents did not list attorneys for the remaining individuals.

Royal Caribbean Group, the cruise line’s parent company, and Atlantis did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nine arrested on drug charges before Royal Caribbean cruise sailed