$90K In Marijuana Found In Baggage At Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — A 27-year-old Atlanta man was the second person arrested within three days after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found 23 pounds of marijuana in his baggage at Washington Dulles International Airport, according to CBP.

While checking baggage on an Aug. 5 flight headed to Dublin, CBP officers discovered 14 vacuum-sealed packages containing a green leafy substance inside a hard-sided suitcase, according to CBP. The substance tested positive for marijuana.

CBP officers matched the baggage to Octavious Lamar Dozier of Atlanta, Georgia, who was a passenger on the Dublin flight with a final destination of Leeds, England, officials say.

During a secondary inspection, officers seized a total of 10.52 kilograms (23 pounds, 3 ounces) of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $90,000, CBP says. Depending on the potency of the marijuana, the shipment could be worth double or triple that amount in Europe.

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CBP turned Dozier over to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, who charged him with transporting a controlled substance into the Commonwealth, and possession with intent to distribute, which are both felony charges, according to CBP.

Dozier’s arrest came just three days after CBP officers at Dulles Airport found 59 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $240,000 in the checked baggage of 42-year-old Aleshia Anne Pinheiro of Las Vegas, Nevada, authorities say.

Like Dozier, Pinheiro was charged by MWAA with transporting a controlled substance into the Commonwealth, and possession with intent to distribute, both felony charges, according to reports.

“If you smuggle drug loads for criminal organizations, you will be caught and face criminal consequences. Don’t be a fool and do jail time for uncaring gangs that see you as cheap, disposable labor,” said Christine Waugh, area port director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C. “Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold drug mules and criminal organizations accountable.”

In 2024, CBP officers and agents seized an average of 1,571 pounds of dangerous drugs a day across all ports of entry into the U.S., officials say.