ST. CROIX — A man was taken into custody after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers allegedly discovered marijuana hidden among clothing in his luggage.
Court documents state that officers became suspicious while X-raying checked baggage from a Spirit Airlines flight arriving from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The scanner flagged one suitcase, checked in at Baltimore/Washington International Airport and bound for Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix, where officers detected irregularities inside.
The bag was tagged with the name Ryan Wardlaw. A CBP narcotics-detection canine later alerted to the suitcase, confirming officers’ suspicions. Agents placed the luggage on the baggage-claim carousel and waited for its owner.
When Mr. Wardlaw retrieved the suitcase, he was escorted to the secondary-screening area for a detailed inspection. Inside, officers found several vacuum-sealed packages wrapped in clothing. Field tests confirmed the contents as marijuana weighing nearly four kilograms.
With a prior record of marijuana-trafficking arrests, Wardlaw was again arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He was remanded into custody pending his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate in District Court.
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