72 Lbs Of Pot Seized At Philly International Airport Monday: Customs

PHILADELPHIA — Dozens of pounds of cannabis were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Philadelphia International Airport Monday.

Authorities said Bryan Nelson Gonzalez Rodriguez, 34, of California, was found with 72 pounds of cannabis in two suitcases that were being loaded onto a Dublin, Ireland-bound flight at the airport Monday.

Rodriguez faces state felony charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute.

An x-ray scan during outbound inspections of the flight showed anomalies in two bags, officials said.

A narcotic-detecting dog named Gini then alerted officers to the two suitcases.

Officers found the traveler associated with the two suitcases at the departure gate, later identified as Rodriguez, and took him and the suitcases to Customs and Border Protection's inspection station for examination.

Inside the suitcases, officers discovered numerous black vacuum-sealed packs of marijuana, authorities said.

The marijuana weighed a combined 32.74 kilograms, or 72 pounds, three ounces, according to authorities.

It has a street value of about $160,000 in the United States, authorities said.

Homeland Security Investigation special agents and task force officers took custody of the marijuana, and referred Rodriguez for criminal prosecution, according to authorities.

"It is unusual to encounter travelers today who attempt to smuggle bulk amounts of marijuana in passenger baggage to overseas destinations," said Rene Ortega Acting Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Philadelphia. "Bulk marijuana smuggling remains illegal, and Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to deliver consequences when we encounter it."