A man heading to Brazil didn’t even make it out of Atlanta before catching some serious charges. On June 28, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport stopped 38-year-old Vance Ray Randolph and found nearly $3 million worth of weed-based drugs stuffed in his luggage.
According to 11Alive, Randolph was trying to fly from Atlanta to São Paulo, Brazil, when airport authorities flagged his bags for inspection. That’s when they uncovered a stash big enough to launch a dispensary.
Here’s what was in the bags:
Over 34 pounds of hashish About 12 pounds of THC wax 4.6 pounds of regular marijuana And 1.2 pounds of pasty marijuana
That haul adds up to a street value of around $2.97 million, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Authorities say Randolph didn’t have a clue he was being watched. Surveillance video and bodycam footage released by police shows officers pulling vacuum-sealed packages out of multiple suitcases.
After the bust, Randolph was arrested on trafficking charges and booked into Clayton County Jail. No word yet on whether he’ll face state or federal charges, but with international travel and a load that heavy, it’s likely the feds will be stepping in.
This case highlights how traffickers are still using commercial flights to move huge amounts of drugs—especially high-potency THC products like wax and hash. Officials are now digging into whether this was part of a larger operation connected to drug markets in Brazil.
So yeah… if you’re planning to check bags through ATL, maybe don’t pack $3 million worth of weed.
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