Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport assessed a $500 zero tolerance penalty to a U.S. woman on March 26 after officers found marijuana and a marijuana grinder in the traveler’s baggage.

CBP officers referred the traveler to a secondary examination after the woman arrived on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica.  During a search of the woman’s baggage, CBP officers discovered and seized a marijuana grinder and two small baggies of green plant-like substances concealed in rolled-up socks that tested positive for marijuana and weighed 2.56 grams. CBP officers released the traveler after the woman agreed to submit payment for the $500 zero tolerance penalty.

"Travelers in possession of illegal narcotics are exposed to fines and potential arrest, regardless of whether the drugs are in small quantities or for personal use," said Dianna Bowman, CBP Area Port Director for the Port of Baltimore.

The Privacy Act prohibits releasing the traveler’s name since she was not criminally charged.

CBP inspects passengers and crew aboard each flight arriving from an international destination.  CBP also conducts outbound inspections.  One component of CBP’s inspection process is narcotics enforcement.

"Keeping illicit drugs out of the United States is a fundamental mission of Customs and Border Protection, and this mission is accomplished through the hard work of our dedicated officers," said Casey Owen Durst, CBP's Field Operations Director in Baltimore. "This seizure represents our ongoing commitment to the protection of the public and the enforcement of federal laws."