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Police: Miami ‘sweep’ in Overtown, Model City, Little Haiti reacts to ‘troubling increase’ in shootings

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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.

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Operation Sweep Detectives arrested James Williams, right, Michael Rubel Florencio, center, and Joaquim Smith, on Wednesday in Miami. Corrections booked them on Thursday and they remained behind bars on Friday morning.

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.

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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.

MPD Police officers arrested Dominick Martin, left, and Zakia Joseph, right, on Wednesday in Miami over pending warrants in unrelated cases.

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.

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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.

Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.



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Miami, FL

Max Verstappen: Red Bull Miami updates have “almost halved” gap to F1 frontrunners

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Max Verstappen: Red Bull Miami updates have “almost halved” gap to F1 frontrunners


Max Verstappen believes that Red Bull’s wealth of upgrades for the Miami Grand Prix have so far “almost halved” the gap to the leaders, but still sees weaknesses in this year’s RB22 to work on.

Red Bull caught the eye with its own interpretation of the “Macarena” rear wing; when the active aero system is turned on for straight mode, the wing rotates around 180 degrees. Although Ferrari was first seen in testing with the device, Red Bull was adamant that it had its own version in development long before it was ever seen in the flesh. 

The team also has new sidepods, increasing their width from side-to-side to incorporate a waterslide-like ramp along the top surface to offer more direction to the airflow passing over the top. 

To satisfy the reprofiled sidepods, the engine cover and the floor have been reworked. Furthermore, the exhaust also appears to have a flap at the exit port to work in a similar way to Ferrari’s exhaust winglet seen earlier this season.

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Giving his first verdict of the updated RB22, Verstappen felt that the car was “more together”; he took it to fifth on the grid for the Miami sprint race, just under 0.6s off Lando Norris’ pole time. By comparison, Verstappen missed the Q3 cut-off in Suzuka, having been 1.2s slower than Kimi Antonelli in Q2.

“It feels more together. Of course, there are still things that we are working on. But it’s been a really positive step for us. Last few races we were over a second behind. I would say we have almost halved that gap now,” Verstappen said.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

“So that’s positive. We’re still very weak in the first sector, which is mainly high speed. So we know that we need to work on that.

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“But, yeah, the rest seemed all a bit more together. So a bit happier with that. At least it seems like we have cleared a little bit the midfield.

“It feels a bit more normal. It’s still not where I want it to be, obviously. But it’s at least allowing me to trust it a bit more. And I can basically take a bit more lap time out of it.”

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies told Sky Germany that the car’s new fittings were “in the right direction”, and that both drivers had agreed that the RB22 was now more consistent.

Although many of the updates had been targeted at aero load, Red Bull’s notes in the usual FIA technical document circulated to media stated that increasing flow stability was also key to its developments.


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“It’s been a very intense five-week period. We know we had quite a lot of issues to get to the bottom of and I think that’s what the guys have done,” Mekies said.

“We knew coming here, especially after having run in Silverstone, [that] we had not solved everything. But pretty much we had the confirmation that we are going to the right direction. 

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images

“It’s a closest gap to pole that we ever had this year. So, you know, don’t get me wrong. The competition is extremely strong. Everybody is progressing. 

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“But also from the drivers comments from Max, for me, that it’s it’s something a bit more consistent, so definitely the direction of travel is better.”

Although Hadjar was also pleased to have a more competitive car, he was nonetheless puzzled by his one-second gap to Verstappen after sprint qualifying and could offer no explanation to the deficit.

“I got through SQ3, which is a start. But then to be a second off, I don’t know why.
I’ve never been more than a tenth off so far this year when it mattered,” Hadjar said. “So, yeah, I don’t know what’s going on.”

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Exclusive | Inside Alix Earle and ex Braxton Berrios’ reunion at star-studded Miami Grand Prix party

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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.”

Alix Earle attended Sports Illustrated’s Race Weekend Kickoff at The Surf Club Restaurant on Wednesday, as seen here. Getty Images
Braxton Berrios (seen here in an old photo with Earle) also attended the party, which was sponsored by Authentic Brands Group. Instagram/@alix_earle

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.

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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.

“The vibes were super friendly,” a spy told Page Six of Earle (seen here at the party) and the football player. Getty Images
The duo (seen here in a selfie) confirmed their breakup in December 2025. braxtonberrios/Instagram

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.

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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 was also seen hanging out with fellow influencer Xandra Pohl (seen here at the party). Getty Images
Bethenny Frankel (seen here at the party with Pohl) was also there with her new boyfriend (not pictured here). Getty Images

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.”

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“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.

Kevin Hart was spotted at his VIP table drinking his tequila brand. Getty Images
The comedian partied with Draymond Green (seen above) and Mario. Getty Images

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.

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This Miami food truck was just named Florida’s top independent restaurant

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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.

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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.



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