A worker at Los Angeles International Airport is facing federal drug trafficking charges for trying to smuggle around two pounds of drugs wrapped as Christmas Gifts into a jetliner.
James Mitchell 25 year old man, is a Los Angeles resident who stays in the Pico Union neighborhood.
According to the US Attorney’s office, He was arrested on Wednesday by special agents with the US Drug Enforcement Administration after prosecutors filed a criminal complaint in federal court.
Mitchell attempted to smuggle 2.1 pounds of heroin through a security checkpoint in ‘Airport’ upon arriving for a flight to Cincinnati. Mitchell purchased a one way ticket.
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According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, During the luggage check, a bag alerted alert for “unknown material”, after inspection airport authorities found packages.
The Terminal three was closed while personnel worked to detect and checked for any potential chemical threat. Airport Authorities worked with Frontier Airlines in an attempt to locate Mitchell. When Mitchell received a phone call from Frontier personnel, he said to the gate agent that he was in the washroom and was not feeling well, according to court papers.
At the same time, surveillance cameras captured Mitchell is exiting the terminal while speaking on a cell phone. Once he got outside, he removed a beanie cap from his head and changed his sweater and disappearing on foot in the lower terminal arrival area,TSA Reveals its 'Top 10 Most Unusual Finds' of 2016 Police tracked down Mitchell at his home, obtained an arrest warrant, and took him into custody.
After his arrest, investigators confirmed Mitchell is an employee of Aero Port Services -- which provides wheelchair and baggage porter services and aircraft ground servicing at LAX.
"At a time when airlines are carrying loved ones across the country and the world, this defendant jeopardized passenger safety by attempting to use the system to traffic in dangerous drugs," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker alleged.
At this point, Mitchell is charged in relation to only one of the six packages recovered from his luggage. Authorities are in the process of testing the other five packages to confirm the possible presence of heroin. The total weight of all six packages was roughly 6.5 kilograms, which is more than 14 pounds, prosecutors said.
The complaint charges Mitchell with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, and possession with the intent to distribute heroin. If he were to be convicted of those two counts, he would face a mandatory minimum of between five and 40 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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