Miami, FL
Police: Miami ‘sweep’ in Overtown, Model City, Little Haiti reacts to ‘troubling increase’ in shootings
MIAMI — James Williams, Joaquim Smith, and Michael Rube Flurencio were at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Friday morning, records show.
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Corrections booked them on Thursday morning, and they faced charges in separate cases with the Miami Police Department, records show.
Their arrests on Wednesday were during a police “sweep” in the Overtown, Model City, and Little Haiti neighborhoods, according to Officer Michael Vega.
Miami detectives approached Williams, 33, and two other men after seeing them in a dark street on Wednesday night in the Overtown neighborhood.
Williams, a convicted felon, raised his arms, and when a detective asked if he was armed, he surrendered a stolen Glock 27, according to detectives.
The operation was in response to “a troubling increase” in shootings and homicides, according to Officer Michael Vega, who did not define the increase.
Smith, who was carrying a PSA Dagger pistol, was in a Mercedes-Benz with dark-tinted windows in Overtown, according to a detective’s report.
Smith, 27, of Miami Gardens, had marijuana in his pocket, and 35.4 grams stored in plastic baggies in the Mercedes-Benz, according to detectives.
Rubel Florencio was in another Mercedes-Benz with dark-tinted windows in Little Haiti with about 180 pills of Oxycodone, according to a police report.
Rubel Florencio, 28, of Hialeah, was “visibly nervous as his chest was rising and falling rapidly, and his hands were trembling,” according to a detective.
Vega, a spokesman for the police department, listed the arrests of Zakia Joseph, 27, of Miramar, and Dominick Martin, 36, who is homeless, over pending warrants in unrelated cases as part of the operation.
According to Vega, the five arrests were part of the operation involving the department’s crime gun intelligence detail, the gang unit, and the FBI violent gang task force.
Williams faced charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, grand theft of a firearm, and carrying a concealed firearm.
Smith faced charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell while armed, possession of marijuana near a school, and openly carrying a weapon.
Rubel Florencio faced a charge of trafficking Oxycodone.
Detectives asked anyone with information about these or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.
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Miami, FL
Exclusive | Inside Alix Earle and ex Braxton Berrios’ reunion at star-studded Miami Grand Prix party
Exes Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios attended the same star-studded party ahead of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.
The TikTok star and NFL wide receiver were spotted interacting at the posh Sports Illustrated x Authentic Brands Group fête at The Surf Club Restaurant on Thursday night.
“The vibes were super friendly,” a spy told Page Six, adding, “They spoke briefly, but both of them were just doing their own thing.”
We’re told Earle, sporting a red minidress, was seen snapping photos with friends before settling into a corner booth with pals, including Authentic Brands Group CEO Jamie Salter.
Berrios, for his part, stayed low-key in an all-black ensemble and was overheard telling a friend that he was down to “do a lap.”
At the end of the evening, Earle was seen chatting with fellow influencer Xandra Pohl. The two social media stars were long-rumored to have had a falling out, though our source tells us they were getting along great and even walked out of the party together.
Elsewhere at the soirée, Kevin Hart was spotted pouring himself a glass of his own tequila brand, Gran Coramino, while vibing at his VIP table. Behind the velvet ropes and a group of several burly bodyguards, Hart was joined by singer Mario and Draymond Green.
“He was taking photos with fans and being so sweet with everyone,” the source said of the comedian.
Bethenny Frankel was also in tow with her new boyfriend, Shane L. Campbell.
The “Real Housewives of New York City” alum and the investment banker were seen being affectionate and staying close as they weaved through the bustling private affair.
Shaun White arrived at the event later in the evening and posted up by the bar, schmoozing with influencer Hannah Bronfman.
Serena Williams enjoyed the restaurant’s outdoor patio area as she gabbed with her entourage under a festive balloon display.
Earle, 25, and Berrios, 30, who started dating in early 2023, confirmed their breakup in December 2025.
In February, she opened up about how it was difficult running into her ex at the Palm Tree Music Festival, sharing in a TikTok, “I was really emotional the first night.”
“We were, like, in the same place, but we didn’t say ‘hi’ to each other, just ’cause I didn’t want to, like, go up and annoy him, I don’t know.”
Judging from their most recent interaction, it’s clear they are now in a place where they can be cordial with one another.
Following their split, Earle has since sparked dating rumors with Tom Brady, who was notably not at the party.
However, a source tells Page Six that she and the retired quarterback, 48, are just having “fun.”
Berrios, for his part, was spotted with model Hollie Ford at the Bird Streets Club in Los Angeles last month.
Miami, FL
This Miami food truck was just named Florida’s top independent restaurant
Apparently, one of the best restaurants in America is parked next to a post office in the Design District.
Taste of R Cuisine (better known to burger obsessives as TRC Burger) has officially been ranked the highest-rated independent restaurant in Florida and the second-highest-rated indie restaurant in the entire country, according to a new Yelp-based study from business lender OnDeck.
The Miami food truck landed at No. 2 nationally with a perfect 5.0 Yelp rating based on 55 reviews, trailing only Los Angeles sushi spot Sonmari, which edged into the top slot with 60 reviews.
To compile the rankings, OnDeck looked at data from nearly 90,000 independently owned restaurants across the U.S., pulling from Yelp’s highest-reviewed and recommended eateries before narrowing the list down to top-rated local spots. Restaurants with fewer than 50 reviews were excluded and ties were broken by review count. Which is all how a humble Miami food truck wound up beating out thousands of restaurants nationwide.
Parked at 95 NE 40th Street in the Design District, Taste of R Cuisine has quietly built a cult following since it launched in 2019. The truck specializes in gourmet burgers, chicken sandwiches, steak plates and house-made lemonades, with everything cooked fresh to order using non-GMO produce and handmade buns.
Its self-described philosophy is simple: fresh ingredients, handcrafted food and nothing frozen. According to the business, the burgers use 100% Angus beef alongside house-made pickles and signature sauces. Reviewers are particularly obsessed with the Everything Burger, truffle fries and lemonades. One Yelp user called it “one of the best burgers in Miami,” while another described the truck as delivering “Michelin-star quality food.”
The truck’s setup is refreshingly unfussy for a place now sitting near the top of a national restaurant ranking. There’s no dramatic tasting menu, no months-long reservation list and no stuffy dining room. Just picnic tables, burgers and an insanely high number of five-star reviews—not bad for a place in a parking lot.
Miami, FL
Nonstop flights from U.S. to Venezuela resume Thursday at Miami International Airport for first time in seven years
Excitement is building at Miami International Airport as American Airlines is set to resume nonstop flights from the United States to Venezuela for the first time in seven years on Thursday morning.
This comes after the U.S. carrier suspended service to the South American country citing diplomatic fallout between the two nations.
The first flight from MIA to Caracas (CSS) is set to depart at 10:15 a.m. and is being operated by Envoy Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, and a second daily flight between MIA and CSS is expected to begin in less than a month on May 21.
The announcement that these flights would resume is a significant step in the normalization of relations between the United States and Venezuela following the January capture of former president Nicolás Maduro.
The flights to Venezuela were halted in 2019 after the U.S. Department of State issued warnings about crime and the detention of American citizens.
Tickets for the inaugural flight on Thursday morning are sold out, and roundtrip tickets for flights in May are priced between $1,500 to $4,000.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made comments about the flights at an industry forum on Wednesday.
“I know that there’s a lot of people in Florida who can’t wait to go back to their homeland,” he said. “To go back to see their families. And they couldn’t make that happen. And by way of the President saying, “No, we’re going to fly back to Venezuela,’ and Robert saying, ‘Well, I want American to fly back to Venezuela,’ the meaning that that has for people, the way that you touch people’s hearts, in a profound way, I think, sometimes we don’t realize.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at Miami International Airport before the flight on Thursday morning, with several officials expected to speak about the historic event.
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