Nine arrested at PortMiami on drug charges while boarding Atlantis charter cruise on Symphony of the Seas

Enforcement operation unfolded during outbound screening at PortMiami

Nine men were arrested at PortMiami on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, after authorities said controlled substances were обнаружed during security screening as passengers attempted to board Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas for an Atlantis Events charter cruise. The arrests occurred at the port’s outbound screening area, where luggage was selected for additional inspection and passengers were referred for further examination.

The operation involved U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the terminal, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. In multiple cases, trained detection dogs alerted on luggage, triggering secondary searches and field testing of suspected substances, as described in arrest affidavits and court records tied to the cases.

Who was arrested and what investigators say was seized

Court records identify the nine defendants as Joshua S. Eddy, 41; Joshua Lee Jenkins, 39; Brad R. Kloha, 41; Adam Jones, 49; Hoi Le, 51; Ryan D. Medrano, 27; Tamar J. Wilson, 37; Daisuke Nakanoh, 40; and Ricardo Gabriel Junquera, 39. Each faces drug-related charges, with specific counts varying by case.

Arrest paperwork and court filings reference multiple substances, including MDMA, ketamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD, and GBL, a chemical associated with the production of GHB. Authorities alleged that drugs were found in luggage during screening and that presumptive tests indicated the presence of controlled substances.

All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

How Florida law can elevate certain allegations to trafficking charges

Several of the cases include trafficking allegations. Under Florida law, trafficking charges can be triggered by weight thresholds for certain controlled substances, including MDMA. In practical terms, this means passengers accused of possessing amounts above statutory thresholds may face substantially more serious felony exposure than those charged with simple possession.

Bond amounts and release conditions differed across the nine cases, reflecting charge severity and judicial determinations during initial court appearances.

The cruise’s scale and the port-security context

The arrests occurred as the ship prepared to depart Miami for a weeklong Caribbean itinerary as part of Atlantis Events’ “Symphony 2026” sailing, marketed as a large-scale LGBTQ-focused cruise and entertainment event. The Symphony of the Seas is among the world’s largest cruise ships, capable of carrying more than 5,000 passengers.

PortMiami, one of the nation’s busiest cruise hubs, operates layered screening processes for outbound passengers. The Feb. 1 arrests underscore how interdiction efforts can take place before passengers ever board—placing alleged conduct within state jurisdiction at the port rather than at sea.

• Date and location: Feb. 1, 2026, PortMiami (Terminal-area outbound screening)
• Defendants: Nine men charged in separate but related screening referrals
• Allegations: Controlled substances found in luggage; field tests referenced in arrest documents