MIAMI – The Miami Beach Police Department has taken over an investigation into a reported strong-arm robbery aboard a yacht Sunday night, and a police report confirms that Migos rapper Quavo was among those on board.
The incident was reported just before 9 p.m. near 114 SW N. River Drive.
Video shows police patrol boats surrounding the large boat that was docked near The Wharf. The popular spot was packed with people at the time.
Cellphone video from a Wharf patron shows the moment police zeroed in on the yacht.
A witness told Local 10 News he was having a drink with friends when he watched police swarm the yacht.
“All of a sudden, there was a police boat that came to the front. People were raising their hands, so we were wondering what’s going on,” Terence Quek said.
More cellphone video shows people on the yacht with their hands up as police moved in.
“It was kind of like an ambush from both sides and that’s -- it was a crazy scene, not going to lie,” Quek said.
The Wharf was evacuated as police investigated the situation.
According to a Miami Beach police report, officers from the Miami Police Department already had several people detained when Miami Beach officers arrived.
According to the report, Quavo, 32, whose real name is Quavious Keyate Marshall, was on the rented yacht with a group of people when they were told the rental time was running out and the boat needed to be returned.
Two men, identified as Cornell Whitfield, 39, of Texas, and Anteneh Workeneh, 32, of Georgia, then became “very aggressive” toward the boat captain and the boat crew and demanded a refund, according to the report.
Police said the boat captain claimed Whitfield told him that if he turned the boat around he would kill him and throw him overboard.
The boat captain also claimed that Whitfield removed his wallet from his pocket, which contained about $3,500 and his phone before threatening another crew member, saying that if the rest of the rental money isn’t returned, he would kill him, as well.
That crew member told police he retrieved the money -- about $5,000 -- from one of the rooms, the police report stated.
The boat’s owner was eventually called and he notified police.
According to authorities, the boat captain claimed Whitfield followed the other crew member to the room, but that crew member provided a conflicting statement, saying he was not followed.
Police confirm that multiple people were detained for questioning, but no arrests were made due to the conflicting statements.
“It shall be noted that although two firearms were located on scene, no threats were made with the firearms,” the police report stated. “No cameras were located on the boat that faced where the alleged incident took place.”
The investigation remains ongoing.