K-9 exposed to drug while searching for drugs on EDM cruise at Port Canaveral

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Brevard County Sheriff's Office K-9 continued to recover Thursday, one day after being exposed to a drug at Port Canaveral.

Passengers were boarding the Norwegian Epic for Holy Ship!, an annual electronic dance music festival aboard a cruise ship, when Jake alerted to the presence of drugs.

The dog notified his handler, Deputy Scott Stewart, before falling ill.

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"(The dog) started having some problems with balance and had some type of seizure incident of some sort, was showing effects of having inhaled some substance," said Tod Goodyear, a Sheriff's Office spokesman. "They administered the Narcan and got (the dog) to the vet as quick as they could."

Investigators said they brought Leslie Bennett, 33, to a screening area and they discovered a small bag of pills in his boxers. They said the pills tested positive for Ecstasy and amphetamine. %

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"I know that Narcan is generally for opiates and Ecstasy would be an amphetamine, so I don't know if it would be of any assistance to the K-9 at all," Goodyear said.

Bennett, of Montana, was arrested on drug charges. He was among about a dozen passengers who were charged while trying to board the cruise.

"The people who put on the cruise put out disclaimers that they will be checked not to bring drugs," Goodyear said. "It falls on the passengers themselves (to not do so)."

Norwegian Cruise Line said it has a zero tolerance policy for prohibited items.

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