Miami

Flight Attendants Arrested on Drug Trafficking Charges at Miami Airport

Marcelo Chaves, 44, and Ronald Maldonado, 35, both from New York, were arrested at the airport Tuesday on drug trafficking charges, according to Miami-Dade Police arrest reports

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Two Delta flight attendants were arrested at Miami International Airport after authorities said they arrived on a flight from Brazil carrying numerous drugs.

Marcelo Chaves, 44, and Ronald Maldonado, 35, both from New York, were arrested at the airport Tuesday on drug trafficking charges, according to Miami-Dade Police arrest reports.

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Marcelo Chaves, Ronald Maldonado
Miami-Dade Corrections
Marcelo Chaves, Ronald Maldonado

The reports said a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer performed a random check of the two after they arrived on an American Airlines flight.

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While performing the check, the officer found bottles containing liquid ketamine and GBL, along with 14 pills of methamphetamine, the reports said.

Chaves told investigators that he and Maldonado, his live-in boyfriend, had been doing drugs in Brazil but said he didn't know how the drugs ended up in the bottles, the reports said.

Both men were arrested and booked into jail.

In a statement, a Delta spokesperson said the men were off-duty and have been suspended.

"Delta continually cooperates with law enforcement entities and the two off-duty flight attendants in question have been suspended pending outcome of an investigation," the statement said.

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