California woman allegedly tried to smuggle 151 pounds of marijuana onto international flight
A California woman is accused of trying to smuggle 151 pounds of cannabis onto an international flight, officials announced this week.
Diane Bahlawan, 34, was first arrested May 6 at San Francisco International Airport while attempting to board a United Airlines flight to Frankfurt, Germany, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Airport security flagged Bahlawan's four roller bags for appearing unusually heavy. Inside, they reportedly discovered 131 vacuum-sealed bags of cannabis.
In addition to the cannabis, authorities also claimed to have seized Bahlawan's cellphone, boarding pass and $960 in cash.
Cbp Officers Seize $875K In Marijuana Disguised As A Shipment Of Men's Overalls
Bahlawan was charged with burglary and unlawful transport of marijuana, but was released from jail after posting bail.
Read On The Fox News App
Her initial arraignment in court is scheduled for June 2.
"It is unusual for my office to get a marijuana transportation case through the airport that involves [this] much marijuana," San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told Fox News Digital, noting that the U.S. Attorney's Office has equal jurisdiction over cases like these.
"They tend to take the big ones and we get the smaller ones," Wagstaffe continued. "So this is a large amount for us to handle. But we are glad to prosecute whatever the Federal authorities leave for us."
Cbp Seizes Massive Haul Of 150,000 Illegal Cigarettes From Cruise Passengers In California
The district attorney's office indicated that further details of the case will be made public following the suspect's court appearance, according to the Chronicle.
Bahlawan's case is not the only one of its kind to come out of California – or San Francisco International Airport – in recent months.
In February, a 25-year-old Australian national was arrested at the travel hub on multiple felony charges after she was reportedly caught with 44 pounds of methamphetamine, according to local outlet KTVU.
Then, in April, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized roughly 150,000 cigarettes from a couple disembarking at the Long Beach Cruise Ship Terminal after returning from Ensenada, Mexico.Original article source: California woman allegedly tried to smuggle 151 pounds of marijuana onto international flight
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CBP Warning: Don't Fall For Phone Scams Impersonating Border Agents
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leaders are now warning Americans to be on high alert for phone scams that continue to target people around the country, pretending to be from the agency and attempting to steal money or social security numbers. According to a statement from CBP officials in Houston, the scam often involves fake calls from people claiming to be CBP agents or Border Patrol officers, asking for Social Security numbers, banking details, or payments to 'resolve' scam investigations. Sometimes, the calls have even referenced fake shipments of drugs or cash allegedly tied to the recipient's name or address, hoping to scare the recipient into offering up money or other valuable personal information in order to fix the potential legal threat. 'Anyone receiving a call from U.S. Customs and Border Protection about self-deportation, or a shipment of drugs or money should recognize that it is a scam regardless of how authentic the caller may sound,' said Rod Hudson, CBP's Acting Director of Field Operations in Houston. Hudson also warned the public that CBP will never call to demand money or threaten citizens with police action if they don't comply. 'If CBP suspects illegal activity, we will not call a suspect or a victim requesting money or Social Security numbers. To be clear, CBP will not make telephone calls threatening citizens that law enforcement is on the way or promising money for information,' Hudson added. Scammers often try to sound convincing, sometimes using the real names of CBP employees – easily found online -and giving out fake case numbers or badge numbers to boost their 'credibility.' Other scammers use robocalls instructing recipients to press a number to 'speak with an officer,' only to demand banking information or payments. The CBP is now urging the public to remain vigilant regardless of how 'real' a scammer may sound. If you receive a call like this, the CBP recommends the following steps: 1. Hang up immediately. 2. Never share your Social Security number, credit card details, or banking information over the phone. 3. Don't trust caller ID or numbers left in voicemails – scammers can fake them. 4. Always verify any suspicious calls by visiting CBP's official website or calling a publicly listed phone number. CBP officials also detailed in their recent statement that the agency does not solicit money over the phone and would never ask for payment from the public through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers of any kind. Texans who suspect they've received a scam call can report it to the Federal Trade Commission's official online form.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Journalists among the injured in LA as ICE protests grow violent
By Helen Coster (Reuters) -Journalists have been among those injured during protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles in recent days, as police clashed with crowds of protesters and fired less-lethal munitions to disperse them. Since confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement first flared over the weekend, more than 30 cases of "police violence" against journalists while covering the protests have been reported, according to a database maintained by the Los Angeles Press Club. The press club includes physical violence as well as efforts to impair journalists' coverage, such as nonconsensual bag searches, in the category. It updates its database with reports from journalists and incidents reported on social media. Some of the incidents have resulted in injuries. Lauren Tomasi, U.S. correspondent for 9News Australia, was hit by a projectile while reporting live in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Tomasi had her back to police and was speaking into the camera when an officer pointed a weapon toward her and fired it, according to a video of the incident. Toby Canham, a freelance photographer working for the New York Post, said he was struck by a projectile on Sunday, resulting in a bruised forehead. In an interview he said the projectile, which was "hard and rubbery," knocked him to the ground. The Post published an image shot by Canham showing a law enforcement official that he said had fired at him from about 100 yards (91 meters) away. Tomasi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Matt Stanton, CEO of 9News parent company Nine, in a statement called the incident 'shocking' and emphasized the need for a formal investigation. A photo editor at the New York Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The press club said it was aware of 20 injuries to journalists during the LA protests, including at least five that required medical attention. While Reuters established that at least two journalists were injured, the news agency could not independently confirm whether Tomasi or Canham were targeted because they are journalists. Reuters also could not confirm the press club's figures. In remarks to Australia's National Press Club on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tomasi was targeted as a journalist and that Australia has raised the issue with the Trump administration. An LAPD spokesperson did not confirm it had launched an investigation into the Tomasi incident, but highlighted a press release stating that its professional standards bureau 'will be investigating allegations of excessive force and other issues related to LAPD actions during the protests.' It is unclear whether those allegations relate to Tomasi. Other journalists included in the database said they were tear-gassed alongside protesters, kept in a small area, or had their bags searched by law enforcement without their consent. Asked about the incidents involving journalists, a White House spokesperson highlighted the risks to law enforcement officers and the public. 'Whenever violent, left-wing rioters engage in lawless behavior, they put innocent bystanders at risk," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. She added that Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass "refused to quell the violent riots" and are "directly responsible for putting civilians in harm's way." Spokespeople for Newsom and Bass did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Bass, a Democrat, has said protests have been "largely peaceful", but there have also been incidents of protesters hurling projectiles at police, burning cars and looting. INADEQUATE TRAINING? Adam Rose, the press club's press rights chair, said the volume of incidents involving members of the media over just four days is unprecedented in Los Angeles. The high frequency could reflect a number of factors, including inadequate training of both law enforcement and journalists, Rose said. Canham, the freelance photographer who was injured and who previously served in the British Army, described a scene in which people were throwing water bottles at law enforcement before an officer "deliberately aimed" at him. "My main point is, please positively ID a target before you shoot," he told Reuters. Since Los Angeles relies heavily on transportation by car, law enforcement officials have a large responsibility to move protesters out of the way to allow traffic to flow, said Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists. The priority for moving traffic could create more opportunities for conflict between police and journalists, she said. Commentators on the right have taken to social media attacking coverage by some outlets, saying they were at times intentionally downplaying the protests. It was unclear if that criticism had any impact on the number of incidents involving journalists. Trump has said protesters have spit on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Saturday that ICE officers had been targeted in recent days and doxxed, the practice of publicizing private information for malicious reasons. Reuters could not confirm these incidents. GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS The LA protests are not the first time journalists including some from Reuters covering U.S. civil unrest have suffered injuries, whether by accident or through deliberate attacks. The number of physical assaults on members of the media spiked in 2020, the year nationwide Black Lives Matter protests erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, according to Press Freedom Tracker, which describes itself as a nonpartisan news website and database. In subsequent years, assaults on journalists have moderated, the Press Freedom Tracker shows. Before the recent unrest in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities, only a handful of such cases have been logged by the database this year.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dems question Trump's use of Postal Service inspectors
House Democrats are seeking more information and a face-to-face briefing from the U.S. Postal Service about the Trump administration's use of Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) officers to aid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with President Trump's immigration crackdown. 'The investigative activities of USPIS are crucial in taking down criminal networks, drug traffickers and other dangerous actors who use or abuse the mail system to carry out illicit activities,' Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote in a letter to Postal Service leaders obtained by The Hill on Wednesday. 'We are deeply concerned that the partnership between USPIS and DHS is not only an improper use of USPIS personnel but will also significantly detract from USPIS's critical mission of addressing the present and increasing threats of mail theft and fraud, and attacks against our Postal workforce,' the letter continued. Trump issued an executive order Jan. 20 shortly after he was sworn back into office that created a system of task forces under DHS and the Attorney General with 'representation from any other Federal agencies with law enforcement officers.' The Postal Inspection Service, one of the country's oldest law enforcement agencies, has nearly 1,300 postal inspectors and 500 uniformed postal police officers, according to the latest Postal Service figures. The House Oversight Democrats wrote in their letter that they want to know more about how postal workers are aiding with immigration efforts after a Postal Inspection Service officer was spotted at a recent immigration raid of a Colorado nightclub where more than 100 migrants were detained. 'To reach every address in the United States, the Postal Service maintains a wide swath ofpersonal information on individuals present in the United States,' they wrote. 'This data is highly restricted, may only be shared in very limited situations, and is largely protected by the Privacy Act, which requires the Postal Service to implement comprehensive protections of personal information.' The Postal Service didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. The Washington Post reported in April that the Trump administration was using the Postal Service's law enforcement arm to obtain photographs of envelopes and packages through its long-existing mail surveillance program, as well as 'package- and mail-tracking information, credit card data and financial material and IP addresses' to track down people who are in the country illegally. U.S. postal inspectors have similarly collaborated with law enforcement agencies in the past to locate fugitives, drug traffickers and other alleged criminals. According to The Washington Post report, Postal Service officials agreed to aid the federal immigration enforcement efforts because leaders fear a larger threat to the Postal Service from Trump, but one source told the outlet that 'Inspection Service is very, very nervous about this.' 'It is clear that DHS intends to use the highly sensitive information maintained by thePostal Service as part of its broader weaponization of personal information to carry out its mass deportation agenda,' House Democrats wrote in their letter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
