Airport officers say a 23-year-old man from Austin never made it onto his overseas flight after they uncovered roughly 75 pounds of marijuana tucked into his checked luggage at Miami International Airport on Saturday. The bags, authorities say, held dozens of vacuum-sealed bundles that tested positive for marijuana and weighed about 34.01 kilograms. A judge later set bond at $20,000 and ordered the defendant to wear a GPS monitor if he posts bond.
How officials say it happened
According to investigators, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were conducting routine outbound inspections at MIA when they flagged two checked bags linked to the traveler. Inside, officers reported finding 65 vacuum-sealed packages filled with a green, leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana, with a total listed weight of 34.01 kilograms, or about 74.98 pounds.
The arrest report identifies the suspect as Harrison O'Neill Tiernan, 23, of Austin. Officials say he was taken into custody at the airport before he could board a flight to London, then booked into jail on a cannabis trafficking charge, according to NBC6 South Florida.
Part of a recent run of outbound seizures
Authorities say this latest arrest is just one in a string of large outbound drug seizures at MIA this winter. A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office states that CBP officers seized more than 76 kilograms of hashish during outbound inspections at the airport in February, a case that led to federal indictments.
There have also been prior cases in which suitcases headed across the Atlantic did not just contain clothes. In one earlier incident, suitcases bound for London reportedly tested positive for dozens of pounds of marijuana, as detailed in suitcases bound for London. That report notes that outbound screenings and K-9 alerts have factored into several recent arrests.
Charges and what they carry
Tiernan was charged with cannabis trafficking and brought before a judge, who set bond at $20,000 and ordered GPS monitoring if he is released, according to NBC6 South Florida.
Under Florida law, possession or transport of more than 25 pounds of cannabis qualifies as trafficking and carries mandatory minimum prison terms and fines. For amounts above that threshold, the statute sets a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison and a $25,000 fine. F.S. 893.135
Investigation and next steps
Officials have not said whether the case will ultimately land in state court or federal court, and investigators have not released further details about any potential chain of custody or possible travel accomplices.
In a related February case described by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations in Miami led the inquiry, underscoring that federal agencies sometimes take the lead when large outbound drug loads are seized at the airport.
