Two people were arrested and a toddler was taken into custody by Child Protective Services Feb. 3, 2020 after more than 8 lbs. of marijuana and $60,000 in cash were found in luggage at the Jack Brooks Regional Airport.
Photo: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
SO: Drugs, $60K found in luggage at Beaumont airport
Two people were arrested and a toddler was taken into custody by Child Protective Services Monday after more than 8 lbs. of marijuana and $60,000 in cash were found in luggage at the Jack Brooks Regional Airport.
Nelson Brown, 41, Beaumont and Cynthia Daniels, 27, of Fort Worth, checked bags just before 6 a.m. before boarding a plane to Dallas, according to information from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
Transportation Security Administration checked the luggage after a scanner detected “something suspicious.”
Both passengers and the child were removed from the plane prior to the deputies arrival, said Capt. Crystal Holmes.
“They took of running on foot (with the toddler) in a field with some trees near the tax office on Jerry Ware Drive,” Holmes said. “It seems like they were trying to cut through. We already had deputies on the way and that is where we caught them.”
Both Brown and Daniels were charged with possession of marijuana and transported to the Jefferson County jail.
Holmes said CPS took custody of the toddler at the scene.
“This is very rare for our airport,” she said. “I’ve been with the sheriff’s office since 2017 and I haven’t seen anything like this before.”
Holmes said Brown had several prior felony drug charges and convictions, but a public records search for Brown only showed misdemeanor charges for trespassing, driving without a license and failure to identify.
chris.moore@beaumontenterprise.com