The detectives arrived without warning.
Two Miami Beach police officers knocked on the door of Raquel Pacheco’s home after she criticized the mayor on Facebook. They said they wanted to ask questions. They said it was routine. They said it was about safety.
Pacheco, a local activist and former city commission candidate, saw it differently.
“This is intimidation,” she said. “It’s meant to make people think twice before speaking.”
The visit followed a decision by Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne A. Jones to dispatch investigators after what he described as “concerning” online remarks directed at Mayor Steven Meiner. In a Jan. 16 press release, Jones said fears of antisemitic violence and threats against public officials compelled him to act.
“I had serious concerns that her remarks could trigger physical action by others,” Jones said.
The remarks were posted beneath a Jan. 6 Facebook message from the mayor declaring that “Miami Beach is a safe haven for everyone.” In the same post, Meiner contrasted Miami Beach with New York City, where — he wrote — protections for certain groups were being removed, and boycotts of Israeli and Jewish-owned businesses were being promoted.
Pacheco challenged that framing.
She accused the mayor of harboring bias against Palestinians and failing to support the LGBTQ community, noting that he has left the room during votes on LGBTQ-related matters. She ended the post with three clown emojis.
That was enough to prompt a visit from the police.
Jones said the detectives’ interaction with Pacheco was “handled professionally and without incident.” Pacheco recorded the encounter and later posted it to Instagram. In the video, the officers ask about her post. They explain they are checking in. They do not accuse her of a crime.
The subtext, however, is unmistakable.
“If you need further evidence that Miami Beach has descended into a fascist nightmare, you’re not paying attention,” Pacheco wrote afterward.
Jones insists the visit was preventative, not punitive. The department, he said, is navigating a volatile moment marked by rising antisemitism and political tension. Words, in this climate, can have consequences.
The Constitution allows words to have consequences. It does not allow the state to investigate speech simply because it is sharp, mocking, or politically inconvenient.
Civil liberties advocates have long warned that “preventative” police visits risk becoming instruments of suppression — particularly when directed at critics of public officials. The line between public safety and intimidation, they argue, is not abstract. It is historical.
Out South Florida repeatedly requested a comment from Meiner. Those requests went unanswered.
The mayor is scheduled to deliver his annual State of the City address on Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the New World Center.
Whether dissent will be welcomed there remains an open question.
RELATED
Miami Beach Mayoral Election Reveals Stark Contrast on LGBTQ Interests
