Video: U.S. Coast Guard Crashes Miami Telemundo World Cup Party Boat

Update 06/13/2025: On Thursday evening, a spokesperson for Telemundo sent New Times the following statement:

"Due to delays caused by a routine Coast Guard inspection, Telemundo canceled its One Year To Go celebration event in Miami yesterday. We regret the inconvenience to our guests and appreciate their understanding. We look forward to continuing the road to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and bringing this historic tournament to our viewers."

On June 11, to help kick off the one-year countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Telemundo invited FIFA officials, Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and other special guests to celebrate on chartered boats in Biscayne Bay.

As shown in Instagram videos posted by Argentinian freelance journalist Mandy Fridmann, guests arrived at the dock in Miami dressed for the occasion in long sundresses and fitted suits. They then boarded several luxurious catamarans adorned with Telemundo and Peacock-branded decor and sailed out to sea.

But while en route to the event, U.S. Coast Guard officials reportedly boarded the boat carrying Levine Cava and other VIP guests, stopping the group for nearly an hour in the middle of the ocean.

Following the kerfuffle, Telemundo abruptly canceled the event. One video shared by Fridmann shows a boat full of guests arriving back on shore as Zion & Lennox and Daddy Yankee's "Yo Voy" plays over the boat's speakers.

As they dock, a man (seemingly an event organizer) apologizes to the boat full of confused-looking guests.

"By the way, we have another year to celebrate, so don't worry," he tells the group. "We're coming back. Telemundo never gives up. We will do it again, and we will let you know."

A spokesperson for Telemundo didn't respond to New Times' request for comment.

Although local immigration activist Thomas Kennedy tells New Times he heard from reporters on the boat that officials checked the captain's immigration status, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) spokesperson emphasizes that the stop wasn't immigration-related.

In a phone call with New Times, USCG spokesperson Nicole Groll confirmed that Coast Guard officials boarded and inspected the boat to determine if it was operating as an illegal charter violating a federal Captain of the Port order issued earlier this year. USCG cited the boat for safety violations, Groll said.

Groll says it's typical for Coast Guard officials to run a background check on the captain, which may include reviewing their immigration status.

While she said that a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was likely present during the inspection, she described that as routine.

"This was not an ICE raid," she says.

In one video posted by Fridmann, she sees Mayor Daniella Levine Cava exiting a catamaran alongside Luis Fernández, chairman of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, and asks the mayor: "What happened? Why were guests stranded out on the water?"

The mayor doesn't answer, instead noting that "it was a beautiful night" and that people "took photos, and here we are celebrating."

When Fridmann presses again — asking, "What actually happened?" and pointing out that Coast Guard officials prevented them from continuing the trip —  the mayor replies that she's not exactly sure, "but here we are."

"Unfortunately, at a time our community should have been celebrating, the event had to be abruptly canceled due to a joint operation with Homeland Security and the Coast Guard," Levine Cava said in a written statement to New Times. "As a guest, I was not made aware of this operation beforehand; we were informed by event organizers that the event was being canceled."

She called Miami-Dade a "globally recognized community" that is proud to welcome visitors from all over the world, adding that the "deeply troubling" incident could have a "chilling effect" on potential visitors for next year's World Cup in Miami.

"We urge a thorough review by DHS and the Coast Guard of these protocols, as this should not have happened. Ensuring that all community members feel safe and included is crucial to maintaining our county's reputation as a welcoming destination for both residents and visitors.”

The abrupt stop comes as the Coast Guard has increased its presence in the waters around South Florida amid President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown. It also follows reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plan to help with security at the FIFA Club World Cup games in Miami starting this weekend.

Next summer, Miami-Dade is set to host seven FIFA World Cup matches at the Hard Rock Stadium.

This week, all 16 World Cup host cities — 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada — unveiled countdown clocks as part of their "year-to-go" festivities. Miami's clock was revealed at the Perez Art Museum (PAMM) during a ceremony featuring singer Marc Anthony, local officials, and the Miami World Cup host committee.

This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.