U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport detained two U.S. citizens on July 24 as they attempted to travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The pair had arrived from Los Angeles, California, and were selected for an outbound Passenger Enforcement Rover Team exam, a standard procedure aimed at intercepting drug smuggling.
During the inspection of their checked bags, officers found heavy objects wrapped in white t-shirts inside large vacuum-sealed bags. Before boarding their connecting flight, the travelers were asked to provide identification and baggage receipts. When the tickets matched the inspected bags, officers detained them for a more thorough search.
The woman admitted ownership and packing of her suitcase. Officers discovered a black vacuum-sealed bag containing a brick-sized brownish tar substance that tested positive for marijuana hashish. In total, 37 pounds of hashish were found in her luggage.
The man also claimed ownership and packing of his suitcase. Inside his carry-on bag was a green leafy substance, along with two small clear bags—one containing a white powdery substance and another with red and green pills. His checked luggage held two large vacuum-sealed bags with objects similarly wrapped in white t-shirts; these contained more black vacuum-sealed bags with substances matching those found in the woman's suitcase.
Testing revealed that the clear bags contained cocaine hydrochloride and ketamine hydrochloride, while the pills tested positive for ecstasy. From his belongings, officers seized 35 pounds of marijuana hashish, 28 grams of marijuana, 1.42 grams of ecstasy, .9 grams of ketamine, and .8 grams of cocaine.
“These individuals believed they were going to easily slip by CBP’s watchful eye – they were wrong,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “Unfortunately, this is a method of smuggling we continue to encounter with narcotic traffickers and there are consequences for their actions.”
According to recent data from CBP’s enforcement statistics (https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics), last month officers seized over 60,000 pounds of dangerous drugs at various entry points across the country.
CBP's mission includes screening international travelers and cargo at ports of entry to prevent illicit narcotics and other prohibited items from entering the United States (https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry). The agency employs more than 65,000 personnel who work on land, air, and sea to protect national security while facilitating lawful travel and trade (https://www.cbp.gov/about).
