Michael Vargo, 21, was arrested on drug charges around midday March 27 at Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas after dogs working for federal agencies sniffed drugs in his luggage.
Eric Barnard, who is the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force’s commander and special agent in charge, said the dogs discovered five Ecstasy tablets, one LSD dosage unit and four vials of hashish oil.
“That’s a high concentration of THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana,” Barnard said.
Additionally, the dog found 11 different dosage units of prescriptions the agents believed were purchased illegally and a variety of synthetic substances.
Barnard said the arrest unfolded as part of a stepped up operation by HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau and the Transportation Security Administration to stem the flow of guns and drugs into the territory.
He said Vargo arrived on a plane from Miami. After the dogs found the drugs in Vargo’s suitcase, agents removed them before heading to the baggage claim area to see who owned the suitcase. Barnard said when Vargo claimed the bag, the agents asked him if there were anything illegal in the bag.
“He said, ‘yes, there’s a possibility that there’s something illegal in the bag,’” Barnard said.
He was then arrested. According to Barnard, Vargo is awaiting arraignment in Superior Court. He’s out on $1,000 bail.
Barnard said that while Vargo said he lived in Maine, he also gave an address in St. John.
