A 24-year-old woman from Goodyear was arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on September 16, 2024, after authorities discovered a large quantity of fentanyl in her checked luggage. Martisha Missouri Montgomery was attempting to board a flight to Atlanta when she was detained by airport officers for smuggling fentanyl worth an estimated $120,000.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, Montgomery’s luggage contained six kilograms of powdered fentanyl along with 50,000 fentanyl pills. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) uncovered the drugs during a routine security screening, where X-ray images revealed six vacuum-sealed bricks hidden in her checked luggage.
The packages were found double-sealed in plastic bags commonly used for food storage and wrapped in tape, leading authorities to believe the drugs were intended for sale and transportation. Montgomery had checked two bags at the Delta Airlines counter, and the fentanyl was discovered in one of them.
Despite attempts by authorities to question her, Montgomery refused to provide an explanation for her travel plans. She was arrested at the scene and now faces charges related to the smuggling attempt.
This incident underscores the ongoing efforts by TSA and local law enforcement to prevent drug trafficking through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
