Chicago Rapper Vic Mensa Arrested On Drug Charges In DC Airport

CHICAGO — Chicago rapper Vic Mensa was arrested over the weekend at Washington Dulles International Airport after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a cache of illicit narcotics in his baggage, officials announced on Monday.

The 28-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Victor Kwesi Mensah, arrived on board a flight from Ghana at about 7 a.m. on Saturday, customs officials said in a news release. During a secondary baggage examination, CBP officers discovered about 41 grams of liquid LSD, about 124 grams of Psilocybin capsules, 178 grams of Psilocybin gummies, and six grams of Psilocybin mushrooms concealed inside Mensah’s luggage.

Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police officers arrested and charged Mensah with felony narcotics possession charges. MWAA Police officers took custody of Mensah and the illicit narcotics, officials said Monday.

An email sent to Mensa's management team seeking comment was not immediately returned to Patch on Tuesday.

Mensah, who grew up in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, released a solo album in 2017 entitled "The Autobiography" after releasing solo recordings as a teenager. He previously was part of the band Kids These Days, according to a profile of Mensa that appeared in in the Chicago Tribune in 2017.

Despite some states decriminalizing certain personal quantities of illicit narcotics, travelers should be aware that narcotics possession remains illegal under federal law, customs officials said in a news release. Travelers should know that they are subject to CBP federal inspection upon departing and arriving to the United States.

“Travelers can save themselves time and potential criminal charges during their international arrivals inspection if they took a few minutes to ensure that their luggage is drug free,” Daniel Escobedo, Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C. said in a statement. “Narcotics interdiction remains a Customs and Border Protection enforcement priority and we remain committed to working closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure that those who transport illegal narcotics into the United States are investigated and prosecuted.”