Miami

5 charged after Miami home invasion uncovers drug trafficking operation at Airbnb: Cops

Police say Airbnb owner alerted them to home invasion after watching it on home's cameras

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An armed home invasion robbery at a Miami Airbnb that uncovered a marijuana trafficking operation has two men facing drug charges and three others facing charges in the robbery.

The incident unfolded around 12:45 a.m. Thursday at a home in the area of Southwest 5th Street and Southwest 58th Street in the Flagami area.

Miami Police officials said the owners of the home saw on their cameras multiple men coming into the home with guns and the homeowners called police, who quickly responded.

According to arrest reports, when officers arrived they met two men who were the Airbnb guests and were the victims of the home invasion.

As officers did a security sweep of the home, they came across large quantities of marijuana, the reports said.

Narcotics investigators arrived and found trash bags containing vacuum sealed bags containing 113.22 pounds of suspected raw cannabis, the reports said.

Also found in the home was $29,850 in cash.

The reports said the robbery suspects arrived at the home and pointed a firearm and a rifle at one of the renters and forced him into the house.

The robbers demanded the money and forced one of the victims to kneel on the floor then lay down while they held him at gunpoint.

They found the other victim and also held him at gunpoint as they ransacked the house, grabbing several bags and cash, the reports said.

Before police arrived, the robbery suspects fled the scene but were found nearby and taken into custody, the reports said.

The reports said the bags were consistent with the drugs found in the home and said multiple pounds of cannabis were found in the path taken by the robbers away from the home, along with around $11,000.

The robbery suspects were identified as 22-year-old Tijhani Cairiq Brown, 23-year-old Rasambessa Wahlanii Johnson, and 28-year-old Jamouri Lee Sawyer.

Tijhani Cairiq Brown, Rasambessa Wahlanii Johnson, and Jamouri Lee Sawyer
Miami-Dade Corrections
Tijhani Cairiq Brown, Rasambessa Wahlanii Johnson, and Jamouri Lee Sawyer

All three face charges of home invasion robbery with a firearm, armed burglary with assault or battery, and armed kidnapping. Brown and Sawyer are also charged with armed cannabis trafficking, while Johnson is charged with resisting an officer without violence.

The two Airbnb renters were identified as 33-year-old Robert Rincon and 43-year-old Johnny Guzman. Both are charged with attempted cannabis trafficking, owning or renting for the purpose of trafficking marijuana and money laundering.

Johnny Guzman and Robert Rincon
Miami-Dade Corrections
Johnny Guzman and Robert Rincon

All five suspects were booked into jail and appeared in court Friday. Brown, Johnson and Sawyer will remain behind bars without bond, while Guzman and Rincon will be allowed to post bond.

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