Courts / Dublin / Report

Drugs mule left contact details with airport when cannabis luggage went missing, court hears

Summary

An American drugs mule left his contact details with airport staff when the luggage in which he was smuggling 14kg of cannabis went missing, a court has heard. Ulises Mendez (30) had flown in from Chicago and left his contact details with airport staff when he found that his suitcase had gone missing. When the luggage showed up, a scan revealed an anomaly and a search of it revealed several black packages wrapped in t-shirts, which were found to be 14.4 kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of €242,516. Mendez returned to the airport the following day but instead of collecting his luggage, he attempted to get a flight back to the States. He was arrested and brought in for questioning and has been remanded in custody since. Mendez pleaded guilty to having the drugs in his possession for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on January 11, 2026. He has no previous convictions. Garda Emmet O'Byrne told the court that Mendez made full admissions when questioned by gardaí.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Drugs mule left contact details with airport when cannabis luggage went missing, court hears. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• January 11, 2026 Incident
• 2026-06-24 Publication

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report