Port Canaveral arrests: Six cruise passengers were arrested at Port Canaveral after Brevard County deputies found outstanding warrants or alleged probation violations, officials said. The group was taken into local custody and processed at the Brevard County Jail while deputies completed booking and warrant verification.
Port Canaveral arrests: what happened
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey posted that deputies encountered the travelers as they prepared to board or were disembarking at the busy Florida cruise port. Routine checks of identities and supervision status turned up active warrants and probation issues, and deputies arrested six people, the sheriff’s office said.
According to the sheriff’s public account and Brevard County jail booking summaries, arrests included an out-of-state fugitive hold tied to alleged violations connected to pending murder charges, multiple violation-of-probation cases and failure-to-appear warrants. The arrests took place July 17 and several people were booked into the Brevard County Jail for processing and custody review.
Who was arrested and charges
Brevard County jail records and the sheriff’s office identified several people by name in booking entries. Martell Murray, 24, listed as from Georgia, was booked as an out-of-state fugitive and held in connection with what the sheriff described as alleged violations related to pending murder charges. Murray’s booking entry in Brevard County jail records is dated July 17; the sheriff noted the out-of-state hold in his public statement.
Kenderia Burney, 24, was booked July 17 on a violation-of-probation warrant and remained in custody without bond in the jail records cited by the sheriff. Veronica Hamlet, 38, of Tampa, was arrested on a failure-to-appear warrant listed as an out-of-county matter in booking logs; records show she posted $1,000 bond and was released the next day. James Otha Brewton, 66, of Allendale, South Carolina, was booked on a violation-of-probation warrant and posted $500 bond before release on July 18, per the jail entries.
In addition to those named above, the sheriff’s office said two other passengers were stopped and flagged for alleged probation violations related to travel without permission. The sheriff’s statement and the publicly available booking summaries identify the probation claims but do not name those two passengers in public records posted by the county.
How deputies found outstanding warrants and alleged probation violations
Deputies at ports commonly run checks on identification and active warrants when they encounter travelers. In this incident, deputies say routine verification of personal details and supervision status uncovered active warrants and probation issues both prior to sailing and as some passengers disembarked. The sheriff’s office described the results of those checks in a public social media post and provided booking details that match Brevard County jail records.
The sheriff’s account states two passengers were on felony probation and had allegedly left the country without permission from their probation officers. Those claims come from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the jail booking summaries cited by local media; prosecutors, probation supervisors and other outside agencies have not, in publicly posted records, provided further confirmation in this matter.
What travelers should know
Travelers with active warrants, probation conditions or failure-to-appear notices risk arrest at ports of embarkation and return. Probation terms frequently require prior written permission to travel internationally; leaving or re-entering the country without approval can be treated as a probation violation and may lead to detention, new charges or warrants for arrest.
If you face probation or pending court matters, consult your attorney or probation officer before travel. Legal counsel can request temporary permission from supervising officers or address outstanding court dates and warrants to reduce the risk of arrest while traveling. Bond amounts, release conditions and whether someone is held pending extradition depend on the underlying warrants, the county’s booking decisions and any out-of-state holds identified by deputies.
Travel impact and legal context
Arrests at transport hubs can delay departures and disrupt cruise itineraries for other passengers while deputies process subjects in custody. When an out-of-state fugitive hold is involved, local authorities typically coordinate with the jurisdiction that issued the warrant to arrange extradition or transfer; that process can extend detention beyond local booking and initial appearance procedures.
Failure-to-appear cases and violation-of-probation matters often originate in separate county or state courts. Booking logs can show bond amounts and release dates, but they do not always reflect the full legal posture—such as pending extradition requests, outstanding indictments or related civil holds—until county and sending jurisdictions exchange records and file appropriate paperwork.
Records, public gaps and source attribution
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office statement and Brevard County jail booking records supplied most of the factual details available publicly: named individuals, booking dates and bond outcomes for those released. Local media reports that quoted the sheriff’s office and the jail logs provided additional context; for example, a Fox News article summarized the sheriff’s account and the county booking entries.
Certain specifics were not released publicly: the identity of any victim in the alleged murder-related matter, the jurisdiction handling that pending murder case, the precise probation condition Murray allegedly violated, and the identities or supervising agencies for the two unnamed probationers flagged for travel without permission. Those omissions reflect limits of the public booking entries and the sheriff’s summary.
Photo note: file photo of the Port Canaveral terminal used by news outlets for context. (Port Canaveral terminal where arrests were made, file photo.)
Brief disclaimer: This report is based primarily on the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office statement and Brevard County jail booking records as made public. Some details remain incomplete or unverified by other authorities; readers should consult court dockets, probation supervisors or official jail record databases for the most current case status.
Source attribution: Details in this update come from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Brevard County jail booking records cited in local media coverage. Primary reporting referenced: Fox News’ coverage of the sheriff’s account and the Brevard County jail entries — https://www.foxnews.com/accused-murderer-arrested-boarding-cruise-ship-florida-deputies
