Two European men were indicted Wednesday after they allegedly tried to smuggle more than 167 pounds of hashish out of the United States through Miami International Airport, hiding the drugs in vacuum-sealed packages inside their checked luggage, the Department of Justice said Friday.
A federal grand jury charged Joseph Mark Delacruz, 24, of the United Kingdom, and Sezer Ali Ilhan, 20, of Germany, with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempting to export a controlled substance, the DOJ said in a press release.Â
If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
According to court documents, the alleged smuggling attempt happened Feb. 11 as both men separately tried to board flights from Miami to Sao Paulo, Brazil.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections at MIA examined checked luggage tied to Delacruz and discovered about 84 pounds of hashish concealed inside two suitcases checked under his name, the DOJ said.
Hashish is a concentrated cannabis product made from compressed resin extracted from the marijuana plant and typically contains higher levels of THC than dried cannabis flower.
That same day, a CBP K-9 alerted officers to two additional suitcases checked under Ilhan’s name for a different flight to Brazil. A search of those bags revealed approximately 83 pounds of hashish, authorities said.
Both men were intercepted at their departure gates before they could board their flights.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations Miami announced the indictments. HSI Miami is investigating the cases.
The prosecutions are being handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Terrades.