CPB: Two travelers bound for London arrested at Dulles Airport for allegedly smuggling marijuana in suitcases

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says officers found 57 pounds of marijuana in 50 vacuum-sealed bags. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

Travel plans for two people flying from Washington Dulles International Airport to London took a detour to jail after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says officers found 57 pounds of marijuana in their baggage.

What we know:

The CPB says Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) police charged Carl Caran Raashad Henson, 31, and Tilesha Kelly Theresa Coles, 31, of Baltimore with possession of controlled substances, transport into the Commonwealth with intent to distribute greater than five pounds of marijuana, and conspiracy to commit drug offenses. 

The backstory:

Investigators say on April 16, their checked luggage was being inspected before being loaded onto a London-bound flight, when CBP officers discovered multiple black vacuum-sealed bags inside two checked bags. Officers identified Henson and Coles through their baggage tags, met them at the departure gate, and took them and their baggage back to CBP’s inspection station.

During the baggage examination, CBP says officers found 50 vacuum-sealed bags that contained a green leafy substance which field-tested positive for the presence of marijuana. Investigators say the combined weight was about 57 pounds, 6 ounces and the weed has a street value of about $220,000. 

What they're saying:

"Transnational criminal organizations continue to carelessly profit on the misfortune of others by paying them peanuts to smuggle marijuana to Europe for higher profits. Instead of peanuts, these mules will be earning jail time and a criminal record," said Area Port Director Christine Waugh, CBP Area Port of Washington, D.C. in a release. "These arrests should be a wake-up call to would-be smugglers that Customs and Border Protection officers will find you, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to hold you accountable."

Why you should care:

CBP says officers across the country continue to observe a trend of transnational criminal organizations attempting to transport marijuana through passenger baggage and express air delivery to Europe, where high-quality weed can generate huge profits, sometimes two to three times higher than in the United States.