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

DULLES, VA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport discovered nearly 73 pounds of marijuana Thursday in the checked luggage of two travelers from Las Vegas.

CBP officers discovered large vacuum-sealed bags containing suspected marijuana in three suitcases that were being loaded onto a flight headed for Keflavik, Iceland.

The officers matched the suitcases to 33-year-old Kaliq Talib McCallister and 28-year-old Christian Tyler Knight, who were scheduled to travel to Paris after their flight stopped in Iceland. The two men and their baggage were escorted back to the CBP inspection station.

CBP officers found 68 vacuum-sealed bags of a green, leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana in the suitcases. The total combined weight of the marijuana was 33.08 kilograms, or 72 pounds, 15 ounces. Although the street value was estimated to be $350,000 in the U.S., the marijuana would fetch two or three times that amount in Paris, according to the CBP.

McCallister and Knight were turned over to the Virginia State Police, who arrested them on felony possession with intent to distribute, transportation, and narcotics conspiracy charges.

“Marijuana remains illegal federally, and travelers who smuggle bulk amounts of marijuana gamble with their freedom to chase a few extra bucks,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. “Customs and Border Protection officers are hard to bet against, and our officers will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure smugglers are held accountable.”