Puerto Rican Rapper Jhayco Arrested on Drug Charges in Miami

Puerto Rican rapper Jhayco was arrested on drug charges in Miami-Dade County early Tuesday morning, according to jail records.

The rapper, best known for his collaboration with Bad Bunny on "Dákiti," was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 4:24 a.m. on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old, whose real name is Jesus Manuel Nieves Cortes, was charged with cocaine possession and possession of 20 grams or less of cannabis. The bond was set at $3,000. As of 10:30 a.m., his bond was posted, according to Miami-Dade jail records.

In the arrest report, deputies say the 32-year-old rapper, a Pembroke Pines resident, was driving a red Corvette at five miles per hour in the eastbound lanes of Southwest 8th Street near 69th Avenue in West Miami. The car then supposedly came to a complete stop on the road and did not move for a few minutes.

The report states that a deputy approached the vehicle and smelled a strong odor of cannabis coming from inside the car. The deputy also said that he noticed a "white powder" on the man's pants and nose. After the deputy asked for his driver's license, Jhayco went through his wallet and cellphone before later revealing his name and birthdate, but there was no license under that name, according to the report. He was then detained once another deputy arrived.

During a search of his car and pockets, deputies say they found two black pouches containing 14 grams of suspected cannabis and two clear pouches of two grams of suspected cocaine.

Born in Río Piedras, the rapper released his first studio album, Famouz, in 2019, after releasing multiple EPs. Then known as Jhay Cortez, he released Dákiti with Bad Bunny in 2020, which was the lead single on Bad Bunny's third studio album and debuted in the top ten on Billboard's Hot 100. He also helped write Cardi B's, Bad Bunny's, and J Balvin's 2018 hit, "I Like It."

Following the release of his 29-track album Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X), the Latin Grammy-nominated artist performed at the Kaseya Center in November 2024 for the first stop of his tour for his third studio album.