Nearly 2 pounds of heroin seized at Dulles International Airport; Guatemalan woman arrested

STERLING, Va. — A Guatemalan woman was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport on Sunday, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered nearly two pounds of heroin hidden in a courier shipment. 

Maria Jose Recinos Rodriguez, 31, arrived on a flight from Guatemala City and was referred for a secondary examination as a food courier—a common tactic used by drug traffickers.

During the inspection, CBP officers found three packages and four smaller sleeves concealed within bags of coffee. Testing confirmed that the white substance was heroin hydrochloride, weighing a total of 798 grams (about 1 pound, 12 ounces) and valued at about $55,000. 

After the seizure, CBP turned Recinos Rodriguez and the drugs over to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, who charged her with felony narcotics possession with intent to distribute.

Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director, noted that drug trafficking organizations frequently use deceptive methods to smuggle narcotics into the U.S., often hiding them in everyday items. 

This incident is part of a larger trend, with CBP seizing an average of 2,339 pounds of drugs daily at various ports of entry across the country. 

Photos of the drugs that authorities say she tried to smuggle in can be seen below. They were placed in coffee bags and sealed for travel.