Reggaeton Star Jhayco Arrested in Miami for Cocaine Possession

Puerto Rican singer/rapper Jhayco was taken into custody early Tuesday (Aug. 12) morning in Miami for alleged possession of cocaine and marijuana. The 32-year-old reggaeton artist born Jesús Manuel Nieves Cortés — known for his billion-stream collaborations on hits like “Dákiti” with Bad Bunny and “No Me Conoce – Remix” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin — was apprehended during a traffic stop, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Rolling Stone.

The arrest took place around 3 a.m. after officers noticed a red two-door Corvette moving at just five miles per hour on Southwest 8th Street. The car reportedly remained stationary for over a minute before proceeding, prompting law enforcement to pull the singer over.

When deputies approached the vehicle, they reportedly noted a “strong odor” of cannabis coming from inside and observed “white powder on his [Cortés’] pants and white powder on his nose,” according to the report.

Further investigation revealed that the singer could not provide a valid driver’s license at the time of the stop. A search of Jhayco’s person and vehicle turned up “two pouches of cannabis with seven grams each, along with ‘clear baggies with suspect powder cocaine,’ that held two grams of the illegal substance, inside his pockets,” RS reports.

The singer allegedly denied it was cocaine, insisting it was “tusi,” a drug often referred to as “pink cocaine.” Tusi is a party drug that typically contains a blend of ketamine, MDMA, and other psychoactive substances, but it is often misrepresented as cocaine.

Jhayco was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 4:24 a.m., with a bond set at $3,000—$2,500 for the cocaine charge and $500 for marijuana possession under 20 grams. Court documents confirm that the bond has since been posted, and Jhayco was released shortly after.