The FBI has arrested a Miami Police officer who used traffic stops to steal money and drugs from people he thought were suspects but who turned out to be undercover agents, officials said.
Officer Frenel Cenat, 40, was arrested Thursday on charges including attempted Hobbs Act extortion, theft of government funds, and attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, jail and court records showed.
According to an arrest affidavit, Cenat has been a Miami Police officer since September 2008 and since 2020 had worked for the property and evidence unit.
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The FBI began their investigation into him after a confidential source told them Cenat had previously conducted traffic stops of people known to have just engaged in drug transactions to steal the money or drugs they were transporting, the affidavit said.
Cenat would use his official police vehicle to conduct the traffic stops and would be in his police uniform, the affidavit said.
Cenat was recorded on video and audio "coordinating schemes and conducting traffic stops of two individuals who he was told had just engaged in drug transactions, with the intention of stealing the money and/or drugs involved in those illegal transactions," the affidavit said.
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The affidavit said Cenat explained that he would pull the schemes while he was off-duty and outside of his jurisdiction.
"On duty they (MPD) got computers on and can track you and s--- like that…you know what I mean…ping your phone… what you are doing in this area," he said, according to the affidavit. "You don't wanna do that s--- bro while you are on
duty…If I work down there I will never f--- down there bro."
Cenat discussed several prior incidents involving drug transactions where he coerced people to give him their drugs, money or both to avoid going to jail, the affidavit said.
In October, Cenat discussed stopping a person after a drug transaction to steal around $50,000 from them, saying "i just need bread now," the affidavit said.
On Nov. 3, two undercover FBI agents posed as people involved in the transaction of 3 kilograms of cocaine for $52,000 in Miami Gardens after Cenat arranged to steal from one of them, the affidavit said.
As one left, Cenat followed and stopped them, identified himself as "Officer Martez" with "Miami PD - Dade County Narcotics Unit" and told them he'd witnessed the drug transaction, the affidavit said.
Cenat gave the undercover agent the choice of giving him a backpack containing the cash or going to jail, and the agent gave him the bag, the affidavit said.
After that incident, the informant and Cenat discussed another theft scheduled for Nov. 16 in which someone would be stopped with 6 or 7 kilos of cocaine and at least $30,000 in cash in Deerfield Beach, the affidavit said.
Cenat said he would give the cocaine to the informant and his buddy to sell and they would split the money, the affidavit said.
On Nov. 16, the FBI performed another undercover fake drug transaction, after which Cenat followed one of the undercover agents and pulled them over, the affidavit said.
Cenat again introduced himself as "Officer Martez" with the "Broward County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit" and took a duffel bag containing 7 kilos of DEA prop drugs and $80,000 in cash, the affidavit said.
Cenat asked the undercover agent "You want to go home tonight or spend 30 years in …federal prison?" the affidavit said.
He also asked for their phone number and said "You now work for me" and "When I call…you better answer," the affidavit said. "If I call you and you don't answer…I'm coming for you."
Cenat later met with the informant in Coral Springs to split the money and drugs, and that's where he was arrested by the FBI, the affidavit said.
"The Miami Police Department is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of our agency is beyond reproach. The arrest of Officer Cenat is the result of a joint operation focused on identifying corrupt cops, and it’s an example of the repercussions when one of our own betrays their oath of office and tarnishes their badge," Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said in a statement. "I stand firmly committed to transparency and ensuring the community's trust is upheld throughout this investigation."
Records showed Cenat was booked into the Broward County jail. Attorney information wasn't available.
"The FBI is committed to bring to justice government officials, including police officers, who choose to abuse their positions of trust and authority for personal profit. Public corruption is our top priority among criminal investigations," Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, said in a statement.
