Two travelers headed out of Miami International Airport wound up in handcuffs instead of in São Paulo after officers said they found nearly 60 pounds of hashish tucked into checked luggage bound for Brazil.
Mekhi Jordon Goodlow, 23, of Los Angeles, and Lucia April Puertas, 24, of Tampa, were detained Friday night on cannabis trafficking charges, according to NBC 6 South Florida. Authorities reported that the couple were halted at the gate before boarding their aircraft to São Paulo.
Investigators said that two suitcases checked under Puertas’ name drew officers’ notice after emitting a strong odor. According to the arrest report quoted in initial coverage, an inspection revealed many vacuum-sealed packages containing a pasty substance that field-tested positive for hashish, totaling 27.19 kilos, or a little under 60 pounds.
Police also stated that two sets of keys discovered in Goodlow’s baggage unlocked the padlocks on Puertas’ suitcases. A judge later ordered that both offenders be held on $15,000 bonds apiece.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents performing departure inspections at MIA noticed the bags as part of normal checks, which have turned up some large cargoes this winter.
A federal grand jury returned indictments in late February after Customs and Border Protection officials confiscated more than 76 kilograms of hashish at the airport, according to the United States Department of Justice. Local media has also highlighted other recent MIA stops, including as a March raid in which a passenger was allegedly caught with almost 75 pounds of marijuana; see Austin flier apprehended.
Puertas and Goodlow were arrested on cannabis trafficking charges and appeared before a magistrate, who set their bond at $15,000 each, according to early reports.
According to Florida law, possessing more than 25 pounds of cannabis is considered trafficking and has a statutory minimum punishment of three years in jail and a $25,000 fine, says the Florida Senate.
Authorities have not revealed any other information regarding the case. The inquiry continues as prosecutors decide whether to file state or federal charges.
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