4 Miami Officers Arrested on Murder, Drug Charges

Four police officers were arrested today in connection with three deaths during an apparent drug trafficking incident, police said, a day after two ex-officers were charged with keeping nearly $2 million worth of cocaine seized in a drug raid.

Metro-Dade Police Cmdr. William Johnson said four Miami police officers and two civilians were arrested in dawn roundups. More suspects were still at large, he said.

Three officers were charged today with three counts of first-degree murder each in the July 29 deaths, Johnson said. They and the fourth officer arrested, who wasn’t charged with murder, face other charges that include racketeering, armed cocaine trafficking and aggravated battery, he said.

Five Miami police officers, including the four arrested today, were relieved of duty Dec. 10 in connection with investigation into the deaths of three suspected drug dealers who jumped into the Miami River and drowned. Three other alleged dealers also jumped into the river, but survived. Johnson refused to answer questions about the fifth officer.

Witnesses told police the victims had been seen unloading drugs from boats and had been talking to “men in blue” shortly before their deaths.

Police identified the Miami officers charged with murder as Armando Estrada, 26; Roman Rodriguez, 29; and Armando Garcia, 23.