WASHINGTON – Customs and Border Protection officers discovered cocaine stashed inside plastic honey and cream jars at Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday.
The seven double-lined jars, filled with the drugs, belonged to two Guatemalan business couriers who arrived at Dulles from Guatemala and El Salvador on board different airlines, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The jars were allegedly destined for Maryland addresses.
The man from Guatemala brought three containers with cream weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces, while the man from El Salvador brought two jars with honey and two jars with cream weighing a total of 4 pounds 14 ounces.
The men, who arrived within three hours of each other, went through a customary inspection to have their packages examined. During the inspection, CBP officers discovered a white powdery substance mixed in with the cream and honey.
The substance tested positive for cocaine but was not easily extracted from the cream and honey.
Officials allowed the men to return to Guatemala, but they cannot enter the United States for at least five years.
CBP officers at Dulles have intercepted more than 50 pounds of cocaine in seven seizures since Oct. 1, 2011, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Follow WTOP on Twitter. (Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
