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    Palo Alto Man Tried to Smuggle Meth onto Airplane

    Feb. 9, 2007
    TSA agents found 3 pounds of methamphetamine in Cade's pants pockets. He had been selected for a secondary screening and the "bulky" items were then found in a pat-down.

    Source The San Francisco Chronicle

    -- A man is facing federal charges for trying to smuggle six bags containing 3 pounds of methamphetamine in his cargo pants while trying to board a Hawaiian Airlines flight in San Jose, court records released today show.

    Michael James Cade, 26, of East Palo Alto was charged Friday in U.S. District Court in San Jose with possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine.

    About 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Cade was at San Jose International Airport preparing to board a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Honolulu when he was chosen for secondary screening at a security checkpoint, authorities said.

    While patting Cade down, a Transportation Security Administration agent "felt a large bulk item in the front right pocket of Cade's cargo pants," Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Anthony Guzman wrote in an affidavit.

    Cade was asked to remove the item but insisted it was only money, Guzman wrote. Agents took Cade to a private screening area where they again asked him to take out whatever it was in his pants, authorities said.

    Cade removed "one bag of crystal-like substance," the affidavit said. It was followed by four more bags, all of which were clear, quart-sized and sealed with black electrical tape, authorities said.

    Security officials notified an on-duty San Jose police officer, who learned that Cade had an outstanding felony warrant from Modesto for narcotics and that he could be searched because he was on probation, the affidavit said.

    Police searched Cade and found a sixth bag in a lower right pants pocket, authorities said. Cade then told officers that he had a pipe in his left front pocket, the affidavit said.

    A test of the crystal-like substance concluded that it was methamphetamine, Guzman wrote.

    Authorities said they believe Cade was smuggling the drugs and, since he had only $10 with him, had hoped to be paid for the illicit cargo in his pants, authorities said. Cade has previous convictions for felony theft, grand theft and narcotics possession, the affidavit said.

    He appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Patricia Trumbull in San Jose and will return to court Wednesday for a detention hearing.

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