The Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas on Sept. 9, 2025. Photo Credit: V.I. CONSORTIUM.
ST. THOMAS — An incoming passenger was arrested at the Cyril E. King Airport last month after a luggage inspection reportedly yielded a significant amount of marijuana packed into one of her checked suitcases.
According to court documents, Alexias Stevens landed in St. Thomas on August 28, on an American Airlines flight from Miami, Florida. Xray screening of the flight's checked luggage revealed “anomalies” in a grey suitcase, and a preliminary investigation suggested that there might be marijuana in the bag. The suitcase was placed on the baggage claim carousel and Customs and Border Protection officers waited to see who would come to retrieve it.
A woman, later identified as Alexias Stevens, collected two bags from the carousel, one of which was the grey suitcase under suspicion. She was stopped as she was leaving the baggage claim area and escorted to a secondary inspection area. Under questioning by CBP officers, she reportedly claimed both bags and said that she had packed them herself.
Officials opened up the suitcases and discovered around 25 vacuum-sealed bags which contained a green leafy substance. The substance, 12.25 kilograms in total, returned a positive result when tested for marijuana.
Ms. Stevens was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Alan Teague resulted in the Missouri woman being released from detention ahead of trial, on an unsecured bond of $10,000. A further schedule of appearances ahead of trial has not yet been published by the courts.
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