Authorities say the California woman named Taylor D. Woods was arrested after officers discovered 36 pounds of marijuana and other drugs stuffed inside her luggage.
Thirty-six pounds. That is not a “forgot it in my jacket pocket” situation. That is a full-on side hustle trying to board a flight.
Imagine standing at baggage check, smiling politely, while your suitcase is apparently auditioning for an episode of Narcos: Airport Edition.
Now let’s pause the sarcasm for a second. Transporting that amount of drugs across state lines is a serious crime. Airports are not exactly relaxed about that sort of thing. There are scanners, there are dogs, there are people whose entire job is to notice when something smells suspicious.
Taylor D. Woods, 30, of Compton, was arrested Sunday at MIA on a cannabis trafficking charge before she could board a flight to London, an arrest report said.
Woods told authorities she had flown from Los Angeles to Miami and had packed all her checked baggage, the report said.
Authorities searched her luggage and found 30 bricks of sealed packages inside, but no clothing or personal items, the report said.
Inside the packages was a green leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana/hashish/THC with a total weight of 16.45 kilograms, or 36.26 pounds, the report said.
According to Judge Mindy Glazer during the hearing:
“Okay, so you’re like now, what, the fifth person we’ve seen in a few weeks, from California going to London, let’s see how much cannabis there was in her checked luggage. I don’t know who is this person getting all of the young people from California to go do this but you’re not the only one, but you are facing serious charges.”
Glazer appointed the public defender’s office for Woods and gave her a $10,000 bond.
“They need to do a public service announcement in California, stop offering to transport large sums of cannabis overseas because you’re gonna get arrested either here or in the destination that you’ve arrived to,” Glazer added.
Miami International is busy. Very busy. Thousands of travelers. Cameras everywhere. Security everywhere. And somehow, this was the chosen location for what appears to be a very bold travel decision.
Now she is facing charges that are not exactly going to be resolved with a quick apology and a rebooking fee. Drug trafficking cases tend to come with serious consequences.
In the end, this story is a reminder of something simple.
If your suitcase weighs as much as a small child and smells like a reggae festival, maybe rethink the travel plan.
Airports are for boarding passes, not “Breaking Bad.”
