U.S. Tourist Fined for Importing Weed into Belize

A 25-year-old American entertainer’s Belize vacation was cut short after customs officers found marijuana in his luggage upon arrival.

Elijah Quartey Mack, from Texas, landed in Belize on Monday aboard a Delta flight from Atlanta. But when his suitcase was searched at the Philip Goldson International Airport, officers discovered three vacuum-sealed bags of cannabis, weighing just over a quarter pound.

Mack appeared before a senior magistrate the next day without legal representation. He pleaded guilty, apologised to the court, and said he meant no disrespect, noting that marijuana laws differ between the U.S. and Belize.

However, while some U.S. states have legalised recreational marijuana, Mack’s home state of Texas has not. Under Texas law, possession of any amount remains a criminal offence. Even in Atlanta, where his flight originated, the city has only decriminalised possession of amounts less than an ounce.

Instead of a jail sentence, he was fined $2,700, nearly half the original penalty. He paid and was released the same day.