A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer tasked with intercepting drugs was indicted on federal charges after authorities found nearly 18 kilograms of cocaine in his carry-on luggage at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, prosecutors said.
Ivan Van Beverhoudt, who was stationed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was arrested in January after stopping in Atlanta on his way to Baltimore, the Department of Justice said Tuesday in a news release.
At the time, the 40-year-old was carrying his government-issued weapon, which allowed him to bypass normal airport screening, authorities said. When he landed in Atlanta, CPB officers inspected the passengers on his flight with a K-9 unit. The dog alerted its handler to Van Beverhoudt’s two carry-on bags.
