Behind the scenes: Searching for drugs at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

CHARLOTTE — Many travelers are unaware of the work being done at Charlotte Douglas International Airport to catch illegal drugs; every day, federal and local authorities are doing all they can to intercept them.

So far this year, more than 2,300 pounds of drugs have been seized at the airport, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Channel 9 Crime Reporter Hunter Sáenz got a behind-the-scenes look at the work they do and the success they’ve seen. Some of the things they’ve seized have led investigators to violent gangs around the country and notorious cartels in Mexico.

“You just never know what you’re going to get,” says Mike Morizio, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations.

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With security clearance, he scanned us through the back gates of the airport, where only authorized personnel are allowed. On the tarmac, up close and behind the planes, we see Morizio’s office. He supervises a special task force.

“Our group primarily is trying to intercept drugs coming into the airport and also trying to intercept those narcotics proceeds leaving the airport,” Morizio told Sáenz.

Morizio’s team finds drugs and cash that are often stashed in suitcases.

“We’ve seized everything from fentanyl to crystal meth to cocaine, heroin, marijuana, you name it. As far as illegal substance goes, it’s come through this airport,” Morizio said.

Take the instance of Rashad Blanchard.

Last year, Blanchard tried smuggling these four suitcases through Charlotte’s airport filled with 46 kilograms of crystal meth. Blanchard is from Los Angeles, a known narcotic-source city, according to authorities. He’s a gang member with an extensive criminal history, including convictions for a carjacking and a bank robbery.

Criminal Connections

Earlier this month, Blanchard was sentenced to 20 years in prison for smuggling those drugs through Charlotte.

“Folks should just understand that there is a lot going on,” said Cardell Morant, the special agent in charge of Charlotte’s HSI office.

Morant told Sáenz each interception of drugs, cash, and other illegal items can lead to a web of criminals.

“I’m not talking about local gangs or things like that. I’m talking about organizations like Sinaloa Cartel, which operates in Mexico, organizations like that,” Morant said.

At the airport, Morizio conducted a search as bags were unloaded from a flight that just arrived from Los Angeles.

“So this one’s coming in from the West Coast, specifically LAX, which is a known source location for us for narcotics and money laundering,” Morizio said.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Det. Jonathan Cerdan and his K-9, Cali, sniffed the bags and got no hits.

But investigators aren’t focusing only on luggage. They also search planes for drugs stashed in secret spots.

“So we’re about to walk onto a 777-200 ... this one’s going to be heading out from Charlotte to London,” Morizio said. “As simple as underneath a seat, you can kind of lift these up and put them under there, and you can go into the panels.”

Morizio says once the plane lands, the smuggler retrieves it and walks off, or they get help from an inside.

“Where you actually have an airport employee involved in the drug trafficking or smuggling,” Morizio said.

If caught by customs, suspected smugglers are sent into a holding cell while investigators test the substances.

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“What happens if HSI is not at the airport?” Sáenz asked.

“They enter our country to enter Charlotte undeterred,” Morant said.

“All that stuff that we seized, and we’re talking hundreds of kilos of you name the drug -- that’s out on your streets, that’s poisoning our citizens here, right here in Charlotte,” said Morizio.

Though more than 2,000 pounds of drugs have been seized so far this year, CMPD and HSI numbers show that’s actually down compared to last year. It’s an effort the Feds say proves the work they’re doing may just be deterring criminals from using Charlotte as a gateway.

CMPD told Channel 9 the following in regards to their seizures from the airport:

“There has been significant progress in reducing drug trafficking at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department data shows the amount of marijuana seized has fallen by 64% so far in 2024 compared to all of 2023.

“Data also indicates that marijuana seizures, which makes up the overwhelming majority of drugs seized at the airport, have also decreased. The volume of drugs seized has fallen dramatically due to the diligent work conducted every day by officers on airport grounds.

“The CMPD puts a substantial emphasis on ensuring the safety of passengers in the airport and stopping the movement of illegal substances that harm the community outside of it.”

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