A large police presence was deployed this Monday in downtown Miami following the discovery of a suspicious package near the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse, which led to the closure of several streets while bomb specialists assessed the threat.
The alert was issued by the Miami Police Department, which announced via its official account on X the initiation of an investigation into the discovery of a suspicious object on Northwest 1st Avenue, between 3rd and 5th Streets, right next to the federal building.
"Due to the investigation of a suspicious package, please use alternate routes until further notice", alerted the police, who also set up a security perimeter with yellow tape around the area in question.
Intervention of the bomb squad
The nature of the package was not immediately revealed, but a court security officer confirmed to NBC6 that the bomb squad had been called in for a thorough inspection.
The presence of the object, apparently left next to a tree in front of the courthouse, raised enough concern for an immediate and coordinated response from law enforcement.
“The police are investigating a suspicious package next to a tree outside a federal courthouse,” reported NBC Miami, citing security sources at the scene.
As an additional preventive measure, North Miami Avenue was also subsequently blocked, according to authorities, "out of caution."
Without evacuations, but with restrictions
Despite the deployment, authorities did not order evacuations in the surrounding buildings, although vehicle and pedestrian traffic was temporarily interrupted in one of the busiest areas of downtown Miami.
“A suspicious package found on Monday morning near the Palace of Justice (…) prompted a swift response from law enforcement, temporarily blocking access to nearby streets,” reported CBS News.
As of the time this note was written, the authorities had not provided additional details about the contents of the package or its origin. The investigation remains open.
Coincidence with a high-profile trial
The incident occurred at a particularly sensitive time, as the affected federal court was expecting the continuation of the defamation trial initiated by rapper Megan Thee Stallion against blogger Milagro Gramz.
The case, related to the alleged dissemination of pornographic "deepfake" content, has attracted media attention due to its implications for image rights, privacy, and defamation in the digital environment.
“This Monday, jurors were expected to continue deliberations in a high-profile deepfake pornography defamation case involving the rapper Megan Thee Stallion”, noted CBS.
The coincidence of this judicial event with the appearance of the suspicious package has sparked speculation on social media, although authorities have not established any connection between the two incidents.
The Miami Police reiterated the call to avoid the area as investigations continue. Early in the morning, several local media outlets reported traffic congestion in the blocked perimeter, as well as the presence of police units, trained dogs, and technical equipment for detecting explosives.
For now, the situation remains under control, with no reports of injuries or evacuations. Authorities continue to work to determine whether the package posed a real threat or if it was a false alarm.
As of the time of this note, there is no additional information regarding what happened.
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