Cruise News3 Cruise Passengers Busted in Embarkation-Day Drug Sweep in PortMiami

3 Cruise Passengers Busted in Embarkation-Day Drug Sweep in PortMiami

Three would-be cruisers never even got to step onto the ship before they were stopped during the screening process in PortMiami. What each one had in their luggage kept them from boarding Norwegian Jewel on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

three cruise passengers arrested in PortMiami
Three cruise passengers arrested in PortMiami in “Operation Temptation 2026”

Drug-sniffing dogs were busy at Terminal B in PortMiami this week. Three travelers were charged with drug possession, each carrying various amounts of THC, which remains illegal for recreational use under Florida law and also prohibited on cruise ships.

One facing charges is a doctor, who according to a Miami-Dade County affidavit, was in possession of MDMA gummies, mushroom edibles, THC gummies, and THC mints, among various other substances.

And all three were looking to board the same cruise ship but were traveling separately.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working PortMiami as part of “Operation Temptation 2026”, flagged several pieces of luggage at Terminal B on Tuesday.

The ship was scheduled to visit both Nassau in The Bahamas and Key West before coming back to PortMiami

But instead of boarding, the three were arrested on drug charges and turned over to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Surgeon’s Stash Found in Search

According to arrest affidavits, the biggest seizure involved was from an orthopedic surgeon, 38-year-old Jacob Henrichsen of Arizona.

Officers searched his bags, including a pelican-style case, and found a mix of white and pink capsules, multiple gummies, pills stamped with the Tesla logo, mints, a vape pen, lollipops, and two chocolate bars branded with mushrooms.

Field testing showed the mushroom edibles positive for LSD. Clear capsules, some gummies, pink capsules, and the Tesla-logo pills tested positive for MDMA. The mints, vape, and other gummies came back positive for THC.

The doctor faces one felony trafficking charge and two felony possession counts.

According to reports from the arrest, about 236 grams of gummies tested positive for THC, almost 11 grams of gummies and pills tested positive for MDMA, and the mushroom chocolate bars weighed about 160 grams.

Defense Questions the Weight

But at a bond hearing the next day, his attorney argued that the reported weights overstated the actual drug content because many of the items were mostly sugar and water. Bond was set at $40,000.

PortMiami with multiple cruise ships in port
PortMiami. Photo Credit: Cruise Fever

Two More Stopped for THC

Two other travelers were also arrested during the operation, both caught with THC edibles and vapes in their luggage

Kimberly Shannon, 57, of Ohio, was found with gummies and two vapes containing THC.  CBP officers used a THC mobile detection pouch which found the illegal substance in the colorful gummies which had a weight over 300 grams.

Lori Watt, 51, of Illinois, allegedly had cannabis gummies, candies, and two THC vape pens in her baggage as well. The gummies had a weight of 137 grams and the vape oils, which tested positive for THC, weighed almost 17 grams.

Both women face a single felony drug possession charge.

Because the quantities of the THC did not meet federal prosecution thresholds, the cases stayed with local authorities. Federal officers routinely hand off local-level drug busts to county sheriffs 

Zero Tolerance at the Port

These embarkation-day stops are a reminder that cruise terminals at PortMiami remain active checkpoints. We regularly report on arrests at Port Canaveral for similar things as well.

Drugs that may be legal in some home states are still illegal under federal law and in many cruise destinations.

Security and CBP screenings continue to catch passengers who try to bring controlled substances aboard. The highly trained K9s working these terminals are very good at what they do.

The three passengers never made it onto the Norwegian Jewel. Their cases will now move through the Miami-Dade court system.

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J. Souza
J. Souza
Jon is the co-founder of Cruise Fever and has been on 50+ cruises since his first in 2009. As an editor, 15-year writer on the cruise industry, and avid cruise enthusiast he has sailed with at least 10 cruise lines and is always looking for a great cruise deal. Jon lives in North Carolina and can be reached at [email protected].
Cruise News3 Cruise Passengers Busted in Embarkation-Day Drug Sweep in PortMiami
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