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MIAMI-DADE COUNTY — Two Miami-Dade police officers were shot and killed in a gunfight with suspects as they tried to serve a warrant for a violent fugitive in a Miami home Thursday morning. It was the first time in decades two law enforcement officers had been killed in the line of duty. One of the dead officers was identified as Roger Castillo. The name of the other, a female officer, has not been released. One suspect was also killed in the gun battle. Another suspect is in custody, according Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

STORYMIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (WSVN) -- A man has been arrested after, officials said, he caused a security scare at a South Florida airport. On Jan. 11, Miami-Dade Police officers stopped Oluwole Aboyade in the Dolphin parking garage at MIA after he reportedly began taking pictures of sensitive areas at the airport. According to a Miami-Dade Police report, an officer said he became alarmed when he saw Aboyade taking pictures of buildings, surveillance cameras, airport runways and restricted areas. When the police approached the Nigerian national, he said he would remain silent. The police report read, "Mr. Aboyade was observed walking...

A woman is dead and five others are recovering after a shooting in Northwest Miami-Dade late Sunday night.

Venezuelans in Miami gathered Tuesday to bid farewell to their former president, Carlos Andrés Pérez, who died in the city where he and so many Latin American leaders have spent their final days.

Law enforcement officials said they did not believe the incident had any links to terrorism. The FBI described the man as a 37-year-old nationalized U.S. citizen traveling en route to Jamaica. Authorities did not specify his previous nationality. Authorities detained the man after a baggage handler reported a small explosion while unloading luggage from an American Airlines (AMR.N) flight that arrived in Miami from Boston. FBI spokesman Mark Leverock said the man's luggage contained hundreds of bullet primers -- a key component of bullet cartridges.

Hairspray, not a bomb, explodes on a plane at Miami International Airport Hair spray has just been added to the "No Fly" list at Miami International Airport. An aerosol can is believed to have caused a piece of luggage being loaded to a plane to explode Tuesday, causing a mass panic for airport and fire rescue officials. The Miami-Dade bomb squad was called to the airport around 11:30 a.m. after a baggage handler said he was taking liggage to an American Airlines plane that had just arrived from Boston and a bag exploded, sending pieces of metal flying. The worker...

In about-face, Cuban spy says planes were shot down over international waters BY JAY WEAVER jweaver@MiamiHerald.com Since Cuban Air Force pilots obliterated two planes ferrying four Miami men in 1996, Cuba's leaders have strongly disputed U.S. and United Nations findings that the fatal shoot-downs happened in international airspace. Aiming to place the controversial killings in Cuban territory was a linchpin of the defense at the trial of five Cuban spies, one of whom was convicted of murder conspiracy. But now, spymaster Gerardo Hernandez, serving a life sentence, has made a startling about-face: In a last-ditch appeal, he suddenly agrees that...

His friend and attorney Norman Kent announces that Rogers died this morning (12/24) at the Vitas Hospice in Broward County. Rogers was the subject of a recent online vigil, after suffering a series of heart-related setbacks and then a kind of dementia. The Miami Herald says the final cause of death was congestive heart failure. Roger, born Nelson Roger Behelfer, not only talked about current events, he specialized in talking about the local media scene, which made his midday talkshow a must-listen for local broadcasters and other media. He first came to the Miami market in 1976 at WKAT (1360)...

Notre Dame’s practice Tuesday gave coach Brian Kelly a good indication that the Irish (7-5) are ready to play Miami (7-5) in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas. Notre Dame completes practices in South Bend today before the team disperses for Christmas, and the coaches and players will reconvene in El Paso on Sunday. The Irish will head to Texas with no major injury issues. Kelly is also making sure there is no chance his players will wander into Juarez, Mexico, which is plagued by drug-related murders, by taking their passports. “That’s serious. Don’t go over...

Officer tried to sell $100,000 worth of stolen Bluetooth headsetsAn undercover Miami police officer who was involved in the shootings of two teen robbery suspects within days of each other over the summer was arrested by the FBI on unrelated charges. Officer Ricardo Martinez a veteran of the city's gang unit with 12 years on the job, was arrested Thursday for trying to sell a shipment of stolen Bluetooth headsets to the FBI, federal investigators said Friday. Martinez, 40, had a court appearance Friday in federal court. If convicted on possession of stolen goods, he could face 10 years in...

MIAMI (CBS/AP) The mother of a Alex Barton, a Florida boy who was kicked out of his kindergarten class after the teacher held a vote among fellow students about his disruptive behavior, has reached a $350,000 settlement with St. Lucie County education officials. According to local station WPBF, Alex has been diagnosed with Aspberger's syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum.

Pooch alerts owner to early morning blaze A Miami Shores man said his family's dog saved their lives when their house caught on fire early Monday morning. The fire broke out inside the home of Gilberto Mejia, on the 165th block of Northeast 98th St. around 4 a.m., as the Mejia family slept. But Mejia said when he heard his dog, Gigio, barking like crazy, he woke up, smelled the smoke and was able to escape. "I heard the dog running and barking and then I woke up and I smelled the smoke," Mejia said. "We could have died or...

Miami ranks as the 9th dumbest cityMiamians has turned being stupid to an art form. And what a beautiful work of art it is. The Miami metropolitan area is the 47th dumbest city out of 55 major U.S. areas, according to the Daily Beast's annual "Smartest Cities" survey. Miamians received an IQ score of 61.65, which is slightly above the intelligence of a kindergartner but slightly below the smarts of a lab chimpanzee. But at least we are hotter than the chimp. Boston was declared the smartest city in America, but what else is there to do in Boston besides...

North Miami mayor returns PorscheMayor Andre Pierre says the Porsche he was driving earlier this year was lent to him -- but he never reported the loan and there are conflicting memories of who did the lending. BY NADEGE CHARLES Posted on Sunday, 10.17.10 For a few weeks over the summer, the mayor of North Miami was riding in style on the streets of a city that had been pinched hard by the recession. The dark blue, four-door 2010 Porsche Panamera that sat in Mayor Andre Pierre's city parking spot has a sticker price of $100,000. And if the mayor...

A Colorful, Costly Dogfight Takes Shape in House Race By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.—In 2003, Lt. Col. Allen West forced an Iraqi prisoner to the ground, counted down to zero and fired a pistol over his head to scare him into revealing planned attacks on U.S. troops. The Army relieved him of command. In ordinary times, such an event might destroy a man's career in public service. But 2010 is no ordinary time, and Mr. West may soon be in command again—this time as a tea-party-backed, Republican congressman from South Florida.

MIAMI — As kids, Jamarco Stafford and James Adams shot hoops on the worn basketball courts of an Overtown housing project. Lifelong friends, they attended the same Head Start program, and helped win football games for the Overtown Rattlers — Stafford sporting number 88, Adams wearing 50. Some nights, Adams slept at Stafford's house. Now the teens, both 17, spend their nights in detention cells, facing murder charges for killing each other's brother.

THE LIBERTY & FREEDOM FOUNDATION is proud to announce that we will be bringing former Alaska Governor SARAH PALIN to Miami. The event previously scheduled for Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at the American Airlines Arena will be re-scheduled to a future date due to a Foundation scheduling conflict. Tickets already purchased for the October 6th event will be honored for the rescheduled date, to be announced. At the FORUM youÂ’ll have an opportunity to hear Governor PalinÂ’s remarks discussing a variety of issues that are important to, and currently affecting, the people of South Florida. There will be a Q...

Hollywood-like heist at Bank of America near University of MiamiA tense standoff at a Coral Gables bank unfolded Friday morning after a trio of robbers kidnapped a bank employee from his home, strapped what may be an explosive device to his chest and used him to get into the bank and rob it. The movie script-like heist began late Thursday night when the robbers kidnapped an employee of the Bank of America at 1500 S. Dixie Highway from his apartment building in Kendall, officials said. The employee, identified by family members as 25-year-old Diego Uscamayta, was held along with his...

A South Florida businessman is preparing to take action against Miami-Dade County officials again.

NOTE The following text is a quote: September 8, 2010 2 men plead guilty to impersonating U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in advance fee fraud scheme MIAMI - Saleumsak Khammungkhune, 57, of San Diego, and David Johnson, aka Ukoha Eke, 39, a Nigerian national residing in Upper Marlboro, Md., pleaded guilty to conspiring to impersonate U. S. officers and to commit wire fraud following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). David Johnson pleaded guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas to conspiracy to impersonate a federal officer and to...