Man arrested at SFO after allegedly attempting to smuggle meth to Australia
A Los Angeles man who allegedly tried to fly several kilos of meth to Australia was arrested at San Francisco International Airport last month, the San Mateo Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.
On June 27, investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security tipped off sheriff's deputies about drugs discovered by routine screening carried out by the Transportation Security Administration.
Authorities allege they found 6 kilograms of methamphetamine in suitcases belonging to Jauan Manuel Paz-Guzman, 23.
Paz-Guzman had purchased an international ticket from SFO to Australia and "intended to smuggle the methamphetamine there," officers allege.
Paz-Guzman was arrested on suspicion of transportation of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, and burglary.
Though the flight was international and the Department of Homeland Security assisted in this case, investigations of this nature are carried out by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, according to spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.
The airport is in an unincorporated area of the county. San Francisco Police carry out day-to-day law enforcement at the airport, but the Sheriff's Office is responsible for criminal investigations.