88 Pounds Of Hash Destined For Brazil Stopped By Customs At VA Airport

DULLES, VA — A California traveler is facing multiple drug-trafficking charges, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Washignton Dulles International Airport found 88 pounds of hashish in his checked baggage on Monday.

CBP has stepped up its inspection process in recent days, after it began seeing an increase in domestic marijuana growers shipping their product to Europe and Africa, where it would fetch many times its U.S. value.

It was during one of these inspections that CBP officers discovered large vacuum-sealed bags containing suspected hashish in baggage that was being loaded onto an outbound flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

A closer examination determined that the baggage contained 28 vacuum-sealed bags of brown bricks that field-tested positive for hashish. Weighing a combined 39.87 kilograms, or 87.89 pounds, 15 ounces, CBP estimated it had a potential street value of up to $10,500 in the U.S.

Related: 72 Pounds Of Marijuana Headed For Paris Stopped By VA Customs Officers

CBP linked the checked baggage to its owner, 27-year-old Johnathan Edward Perez. He and his baggage were taken to the CBP’s inspection station, where he was turned over to Virginia State Police. The troopers charged Perez with felony possession with intent to distribute, transportation, and narcotics conspiracy charges.

“This seizure of Hashish is a gentle reminder to those who look to skirt our laws that CBP is steadfast in its enforcement responsibility,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s area port director for the area port of Washington, D.C. “Customs and Border Protection officers demonstrate daily dedication in stemming the flow of illegal narcotics, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure smugglers are held accountable.”