Crime · Miami, FL
Federal prosecutors filed a 175-page sentencing memorandum in Manhattan federal court seeking life sentences and $4.75 million in combined fines for Tal, Oren, and Alon Alexander, Miami natives convicted in March of sex trafficking involving the drugging and sexual assault of women and underage girls. The brothers, who built prominent careers in Miami's luxury real estate market before their December 2024 arrests, are scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 27 by U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni. More than 70 women have come forward with allegations; eleven testified during the five-week trial that ended March 9 with guilty verdicts on every count. Oren and Alon Alexander also face separate state sexual assault charges in Miami-Dade County.
Transportation · Miami-Dade County
The Miami-Dade County Commission unanimously approved an agreement last week to conduct a federally required environmental study on the deteriorating Bear Cut Bridge, the sole connector between Key Biscayne and mainland Miami-Dade. County DOT Director Stacy Miller told commissioners the bridge is functionally obsolete with structural deficiencies but remains safe, while repairs continue during planning. The study will evaluate no-build, repair, and multiple replacement options for the 1944-era bridge, which could cost $60 million to $100 million under the Rickenbacker Causeway Master Plan. Tolls from causeway users are expected to fund most of the work, with grants and bonds also under consideration; no timeline has been set for construction after the study concludes.
Transportation · Miami, FL
Construction crews on the $866 million I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design-Build Project in downtown Miami began building an MSE wall to support westbound traffic transitioning from the MacArthur Causeway onto the new elevated Signature Bridge, and completed a 590-cubic-yard concrete pour for the double-decked SR 836 roadway west of the Miami River. FDOT announced that both the northbound and southbound I-95 ramps to westbound SR 836 will be closed nightly from 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through Friday, Oct. 16, with specific detour routes posted for drivers. The project, a partnership between FDOT, the Greater Miami Expressway Agency, and contractor Archer Western – de Moya Group Joint Venture, also includes ongoing concrete pavement replacement, Intelligent Transportation System installations, and traffic railing retrofits along the corridor. Completion is expected in late 2029.
Transportation · Miami, FL
Miami-Dade County commissioners voted 9-4 last week to begin charging a fare on the Metromover, which has been free for riders since 2002. The specific fare amount and the date it will take effect were not determined in the vote.
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Local Politics · Miami-Dade County
PortMiami is in confidential mediation with HRP Group over the future of its sole marine fuel facility on Fisher Island, which HRP purchased for $180 million in September 2025 with plans to redevelop it into luxury condominiums. Miami-Dade County commissioners voted July 21 to authorize acquisition via negotiations or eminent domain, offering up to 15% above appraised value, while the facility's current operating agreement requires fuel operations to end by May 2027. The Fisher Island Community Association and Fisher Island Club have filed suit challenging the proposed sale to the county. In other local news, Miami-Dade hotels posted the nation's largest percentage increase in average daily room rate (23.5% year over year) for the week ending Oct. 3, and the county commission approved an agreement allowing University of Miami researchers to operate a coral production facility on Virginia Key through June 30, 2050.
Crime · Miami-Dade County
A juror was dismissed Wednesday on Day 10 of the sentencing trial of Alberto Sierra, a Miami-Dade man who admitted to killing his wife Gladys Machado and stepdaughters Julia (6) and Daniela (3) in 2012 by suffocation. Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez removed the juror after he emailed expressing emotional distress, sleep difficulties, and concern about the toll on his family. Sierra's defense argues a childhood brain injury from a 1996 car accident affected his behavior, while prosecutors contend his post-crime actions demonstrate planning and understanding. Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday, with the jury to recommend either life in prison or the death penalty.
Crime · Miami-Dade County
Janeel Frontal, 32, was arrested Tuesday at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building and charged with three counts of armed robbery with a firearm and one count of kidnapping tied to crimes in Miami Beach (June 15), Homestead (July 23), and near West Dixie Highway in Miami (Aug. 3). Authorities linked Frontal to all three incidents through surveillance video, cellphone data, traffic-stop records, and the use of a gray Kia K4 with front-end damage and a stolen license plate. In the Homestead robbery, two men pistol-whipped a victim, tied him up, and stole jewelry worth approximately $16,000 while threatening his family. Stolen items were sold at a Hialeah jewelry shop. Frontal appeared in bond court Wednesday and was ordered held without bond.
Crime · Hialeah, FL
Michael Isaac Delgado, 17, has been charged as an adult with attempted second-degree murder and shooting a deadly missile after a Sept. 1 shooting at the Aquabella apartment complex at 11181 West 35th Way in Hialeah. Delgado appeared in adult court Wednesday and was ordered held without bond; his defense attorney said he will seek release on conditions. A second 17-year-old suspect was also arrested, but it is unclear whether he faces adult charges. According to the arrest report, the shooting followed a physical altercation that escalated when Delgado reportedly drew a gun and fired multiple rounds at fleeing victims.
Local Politics · Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County conducted its logic and accuracy test for voting machines ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, processing test ballots to verify that votes are captured and reported correctly. Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia said the county maintains high standards for election security in Florida. Early voting in Miami-Dade is scheduled from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1.
Transportation · Miami, FL
On Sept. 24, the Miami City Commission directed the city manager to complete a comprehensive market study before selecting a procurement method for future trolley services, sponsored by Commissioner Rolando Escalona. The city aims to replace its current fleet of 56 trolleys with battery-electric buses by 2035 at an estimated $56 million cost, following a December 2023 Kimley-Horn study that recommended battery-electric vehicles over fuel-cell alternatives. Recent funding includes a $1.8 million state contribution in May 2024 for four replacement trolleys and a $1.1 million Florida DOT grant accepted in November 2025 for three more. The resolution sets no deadline for completing the study or selecting a procurement method, but requires the city manager to present findings back to the commission before proceeding.
Local Politics · Miami-Dade County
County Referendum 1, appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot in Miami-Dade County, would replace the charter-fixed $6,000 annual salary for county commissioners with a figure set each year by an independent salary panel. The panel members would be appointed by the Chief Judge of Florida's Eleventh Circuit, the State Attorney, the Public Defender, the Executive Director of the Commission on Ethics, and the Inspector General. Commissioners' pay has remained at $6,000 since the 1956 charter was adopted, while other Florida counties pay commissioners between $32,490 and $127,779 annually under a state-mandated scale. The proposal originated from a charter review team that spent nearly a year updating the county's governing structure.
Social Events · Miami, FL
The III Points 2026 music festival takes place Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17, at Mana Wynwood (2217 NW Fifth Ave., Miami), with tickets ranging from $282.96 to $599. The article profiles over a dozen Miami-based artists performing at the event, including DJ Adam Brien, psychedelic Peruvian cumbia band featuring guitarist Alex Merbouti (Sector 3, Friday at 5 p.m.), electronic duo June Vinette and Angela Rio, producer R/V Calypso (Troy Kurtz), and folk/jazz artist Vania Junco. Several performers are connected to Miami nightlife venues such as Club Space, the Ground, and party series like My Friend Misty and Perreo Del Futuro.
