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Drug smuggling busted by St. Louis CBP

Release Date
Thu, 05/15/2025

ST. LOUIS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at St. Louis’ Lambert International Airport arrested a 31-year-old woman on May 14 for trying to travel to Germany with over 40 pounds of marijuana.

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CBP officers in Newark notified St. Louis CBP a passenger scheduled to leave the U.S. was a subject of interest. The U.S. citizen was departing St. Louis to head to Frankfurt, Germany. Before her luggage was loaded on the aircraft, CBP officers inspected her two suitcases and found 38 bundles of marijuana with a total weight of 43-and-a-half pounds.

The individual and marijuana was turned over to the St. Louis Airport Police for further processing.

“The sharing of information between our officers was instrumental in stopping this traveler from transporting 43 pounds of marijuana internationally,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “I commend the CBP officers in Newark and at Lambert for enforcing U.S. federal law, which prohibits the illegal distribution of marijuana.”

CBP’s border security mission is led at 328 ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.

Follow CBP on Twitter @CBPChicago and @DFOChicago. Visit CBP’s YouTube channel to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

Last Modified: May 15, 2025