Deputy Francisco Melo is suspected of being a narcotics dealer, and instead of being on a cruise at sea, he found himself locked up on land Friday morning.NBC6’s Julia Bagg reports.
A Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputy is accused of smuggling narcotic pills by hiding them inside bags of candy.
Francisco Melo, 36, is suspected of being a narcotics dealer, and instead of being on a cruise at sea, he found himself behind bars Friday morning, according to arrest reports.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREMelo has been a Miami-Dade officer for the past six years. He was relieved of duty following the arrest.
According to documents, detectives arrested him at the Royal Caribbean terminal in PortMiami just as Melo was heading with his luggage to board the Allure of the Seas Thursday morning.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
Investigators say the ship had been privately chartered and was hosting a four-day music festival, and Melo was expected to smuggle methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, pills on board. The drug is also commonly known as ecstasy or molly.
Arrest documents show detectives searched Melo's luggage and found 60 pills hidden inside Skittles candy bags. They also say a confidential informant had previously purchased the same kind of narcotics pills from Melo in December of last year.
Local
The Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz expressed her disappointment in the deputy in a statement, saying in part: "Narcotics don't just harm those who use them, they devastate families, and fuel crime. No one is above the law, and this office will not tolerate criminal behavior from anyone, especially those entrusted to enforce it. The actions of this individual are a betrayal of the public trust and of all the deputies who work tirelessly to protect our community. We will cooperate fully with the state attorney's office throughout the legal process."
Melo is charged with possession, sale and trafficking of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and his bond was set Friday at $25,000.
