72 Pounds Of Hash?! 2 Travelers Busted At O’Hare With Huge Stash

It's been a busy year for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at America's airports when it comes to catching travelers who are trying to sneak large quantities of drugs into or through the United States, and we're just past the halfway point of 2025.

So far this year:

• On June 28th at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, federal agents and the Atlanta Police Department intercepted 52-plus pounds of cannabis derivatives including hashish, THC wax, marijuana, and “pasty marijuana.” The seizure’s estimated street value was nearly $3 million. The suspect was arrested on their way to São Paulo, Brazil.
• On March 31st at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 5.9 lbs of cocaine hidden in checked luggage. The passenger was detained by CBP officers and processed by local authorities.
• In February at San Francisco International Airport, an Australian national attempted to fly with approximately 44 pounds of methamphetamine in her checked luggage. She was charged with felony drug trafficking and denied bail.

Then, on July 24th, CBP detected and seized a massive haul at Chicago's O'Hare Airport that might be the biggest one yet this year.

Most People Get Really Anxious At The Thought Of Being Stopped At The Airport For Even Having A Couple More Ounces Of Liquid Than They're Allowed, So Being Stopped For Having 70-Plus Pounds Of Hashish (and other things) Must Have Really Upped Their Heart Rates

It all started on July 24th when a couple flying from LA to São Paulo, Brazil (catching a connection in Chicago) were selected at O'Hare airport for a routine inspection of their carry-on bags. Turns out that it was anything but routine.

Patch.com:

In the woman’s luggage, officers found 37 pounds of marijuana hashish, authorities said, while the man’s luggage had 35 pounds of hashish as well as 28 grams of marijuana, 1.42 grams of ecstasy, 0.9 grams of ketamine and 0.8 grams of cocaine.

That's a grand total of 72 pounds of hashish, which makes the July 24th O'Hare bust the largest known US airport cannabis seizure of 2025, and one of the largest hashish-specific airport busts in US history.

CBP.gov:

“These individuals believed they were going to easily slip by CBP’s watchful eye – they were wrong,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “Unfortunately, this is a method of smuggling we continue to encounter with narcotic traffickers and there are consequences for their actions.”