MDSO Deputy Arrested While Boarding Groove Cruise on Drug Trafficking Charges

Miami Dade Sheriff’s Office Deputy Francisco Melo was allegedly trying to smuggle ecstasy pills onboard Groove Cruise in Skittles packets.

Drug busts are nothing new when it comes to cruise ship festivals, but the police themselves aren’t usually on the receiving end. Miami Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) Deputy Francisco Melo is now a rare exception after he was detained while boarding Groove Cruise on charges of drug trafficking.

According to detectives, Melo was in possession of 60 ecstasy pills at the Royal Carribbean Cruise Terminal, where the Allure of the Seas was docked and preparing to set sail on the morning of Thursday, January 23. They allege that they found the illegal narcotics in Skittles bags in his luggage with the help of drug sniffing dogs.

Investigators had arranged for a confidential informant to buy 12 of the same ecstasy pills from Melo, a deputy of six years, in December per CBS News. It was during this undercover operation that they learned of his plans to board Groove Cruise.

“As sheriff, it’s my duty to make sure that our community can trust our deputies to protect them and uphold the law,” said MDSO Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz in a statement. “I am disappointed to inform you that one of my deputies has been arrested for trafficking a controlled substance.”

On Friday, January 24, Melo, who has been relieved of duty, was bonded out of jail within hours of being booked. 7News Miami reports that he left the facility in a hurry while they attempted to question him about the incident.

After leaving port, the 2025 sailing of Groove Cruise made a stop on Labadee, Haiti before returning on Sunday, January 26. Cabins for the 2026 edition are now on sale.