Two men from California were arrested at Miami International Airport this week after authorities say they found large stashes of cannabis and hashish packed into separate checked bags. The travelers, both in their 20s, were stopped before boarding international flights and now face trafficking charges under Florida law.
How Officers Say the Luggage Raised Red Flags
According to an arrest report, Abraham Fitzwilson, 26, of San Diego, was pulled aside before a flight to São Paulo after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection K-9 allegedly alerted to his checked suitcase. Inside, officers reported finding 10 brick-shaped, sealed packages containing a brown, tar-like substance that later tested positive for hashish and weighed more than 26 pounds, as reported by NBC6 South Florida.
The same arrest report named Raees Durham, 28, of Los Angeles, as a second suspect. His luggage was flagged before an outbound flight to London. Inside, officers said they found two vacuum-sealed packages holding about 30 smaller bags of a green, leafy substance that tested at roughly 36 pounds. Durham reportedly told investigators he expected to be paid $6,000 to $7,000 to deliver the suitcase and, according to the report, added, "my rent is late, my mom is sick, and I am f---ed up."
Another Big Drug Haul at MIA This Month
Earlier this month, officers at MIA seized more than 81 pounds of hashish from a traveler also headed to São Paulo, highlighting a run of sizable drug interceptions at the airport. That case was reported by Local10, which described airline staff working with Customs officers to pull checked bags for closer inspection.
How CBP Screens Outbound Flights
Customs and Border Protection routinely leans on K-9 teams and targeted outbound passenger inspections to intercept contraband before it ever gets on a plane. The agency’s local media releases describe similar setups at other airports, with vacuum-sealed packages turning up after a canine alert on checked luggage. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP officers regularly coordinate with airline staff and local deputies when a bag triggers suspicion and needs extra screening.
Florida Trafficking Law and Potential Time
Under Florida law, possessing more than 25 pounds of cannabis is treated as trafficking in cannabis, a felony that carries mandatory prison time once that threshold is crossed. The statute text sets 25 pounds as the lower trafficking cutoff and prescribes a three-year mandatory minimum sentence for amounts above 25 pounds, which the reported weights in both Miami cases would exceed, according to the Florida Senate.
What Happens Next for the Two Travelers
Both men were arrested, booked into Miami-Dade jail, and remain in custody pending further processing, NBC6 South Florida reported. Prosecutors are expected to review the case and decide whether to file state charges as the Miami-Dade investigation moves forward.
