Los Angeles International Airport Reported To Be The Drug Smuggling Hub Of The World

Summary

  • LAX is a major drug smuggling spot, with multiple busts made over the last four years.
  • Multiple agencies, including TSA and DEA, share responsibility for drug detection at the airport.
  • FBI, LAX police, and DHS also play roles in combating drug smuggling at LAX, each with specific jurisdictions.

Los Angeles International Airport is potentially one of the main drug smuggling points in the entire world. According to some law enforcement officers that have been investigating for four years, most drugs that arrive in their jurisdiction pass through the airport.

Drug smuggling at LAX

ABC 7, one of the local news outlets in the Los Angeles area, recently sat down with Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Florida, to discuss an ongoing investigation. One might wonder why a Florida sheriff is discussing drugs at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Four years ago, an investigation led by local authorities and federal agencies was launched to bust drug smuggling in Florida.

LAX

shutterstock_662585947 - A drug detection labrador dog beside custom officer searching drugs in luggage on baggage band. Searching in airport. Horizontal view.

Photo: Dragosh Co | Shutterstock

Several busts have been made in four years, and dozens of people have been arrested. In ABC’s report, Sheriff Judd is shown at a press conference following a drug bust. He mentions that suitcases with drugs were discovered in Polk County regularly and that, in one instance, six suitcases with the same drug arrived on the same flight at Orlando International Airport. The Sheriff says, “They didn’t so much as throw a pair of underwear in the suitcase to act like they were hiding the drugs. You think LAX has a drug smuggling problem?”

When asked who is responsible for stopping drug smuggling at the airport, Sheriff Judd said the responsibility is shared. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for screening luggage, but its goal is not to find drugs. The TSA’s mission is to locate weapons, incendiaries, and explosives. Jason Pantages, the TSA’s security director at LAX, said the TSA is not a law enforcement agency. Therefore, looking for drugs cannot be part of their job.

So who is in charge of locating drugs?

In its report, ABC also spoke with LAX Police and officials at the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Pantages told ABC that if drugs are found in luggage, the TSA notifies law enforcement, which begins with LAX police. Chief Cecil Rhambo says that while police are responsible for several things at LAX, screening bags is not one of them. The DEA is also in charge of cracking down on drug smuggling at the airport but also does not screen. According to Matthew Allen, the DEA’s job is investigative, and they hope to stop drugs from ever reaching the airport.

A panoramic view of the TSA Security Screening Checkpoint at Denver Airport.

Photo: Jim Lambert | Shutterstock

Jurisdiction is complicated in law enforcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also plays a part in this. For example, if an airport employee tries to use their credentials to smuggle drugs into an airport, which has happened at LAX, the FBI will get involved. If drugs are found on an aircraft and the doors have been shut, the FBI gets involved, but if the doors are still open, LAX police have authority. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also involved but focuses on international investigations.

Though several agencies are involved, it does not seem that one agency focuses on locating drugs inside bags, which makes smuggling easier. Sheriff Judd said that cartels discovered years ago that smuggling drugs through private airfields is no longer needed because infrastructure is already in place to smuggle.

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