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Cocaine Bust at Miami International Airport

News & Happenings

May 12, 2008

Transportation Security Officer Jason Davenport was operating an explosives detection system at Miami International Airport recently when the unit targeted a barely discernable anomaly in a checked bag.

During an inspection by TSO Lithana "Lit" Noukeo, no threat item or explosive traces were found. Noukeo could have cleared the bag at that point, but he had a hunch something was amiss. Upon further examination, he detected evidence of physical tampering on the outside of the bag and called Supervisory TSO Paul Read.

Meanwhile, Davenport had had another alarm similar to the first. Suspecting artful concealment of some sort, the officers called the Miami-Dade Police Department and federal Customs and Border Protection. A CBP canine responded positively to both suitcases, and a total of 13.52 pounds of cocaine was found. The owner of the bags was arrested for smuggling by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"This is a great example of TSA officers utilizing their skills with million-dollar equipment and – more importantly – their instincts," said Federal Security Director Mark Hatfield. "The human factor will always provide us the margin of victory against our enemies and we must work with our people to develop good judgment and hone these skills."

Throughout the incident, airport operations were normal, with no flight delays.