CBP Officers seize 42 pounds of Marijuana, California man arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

ATLANTA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted an alleged drug smuggler at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Jan. 14 after discovering 42 pounds of marijuana in his checked baggage bound for France.

CBP officers stopped Kash Berthelot, 41, of California at the departure gate in Atlanta and escorted him, along with two suitcases, to the CBP inspection station for further examination. Inside the luggage, officers found four vacuum-sealed packages containing a green leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana. The total weight was 19 kilograms, or approximately 42 pounds.

“If you smuggle drugs, you will be caught and face criminal consequences,” said CBP’s Area Port of Atlanta Zachary Thomas. “CBP officers will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold drug mules and criminal organizations accountable.”

Atlanta Police Department officers arrested Berthelot on charges related to trafficking marijuana. He is subject to state prosecution.

CBP officers nationwide continue to observe a trend of transnational criminal organizations attempting to transport marijuana through passenger baggage and express air delivery to Europe, where high-quality marijuana can generate significant profits.

While some states have decriminalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, possession and use remain illegal under federal law. Federal law also prohibits transporting marijuana across state lines or exporting it from the United States.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation’s Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo, and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

See what CBP accomplishes during “A Typical Day.” Learn more at www.CBP.gov.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Atlanta Field Office on X at @DFOAtlanta and on Instagram @DFOAtlanta for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.