A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer caught in 2020 trying to smuggle close to 18 kilograms of cocaine through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was convicted in federal court this week.
Ivan Van Beverhoudt, who was stationed at the U.S. Virgin Islands, was found guilty of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, importation of cocaine into the United States, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was found not guilty on a gun charge.
“Van Beverhoudt used his trusted position as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer to circumvent the law and smuggle dangerous drugs into our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Richard S. Moultrie Jr. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, Van Beverhoudt is now being held accountable and faces time in federal prison.”
His attorneys could not be reached for comment.
In his official capacity, Van Beverhoudt was tasked with intercepting drugs and inspecting flights to prevent the movement of controlled substances on airplanes. He was arrested in January 2020 after authorities found nearly 18 kilograms of cocaine in his carry-on luggage as he stopped in Atlanta on his way to Baltimore.
To avoid TSA screening in St. Thomas, Van Beverhoudt traveled in his official capacity as a CBP officer and was carrying his loaded government-issued weapon, according to the Northern District of Georgia.
Upon landing in Atlanta, CBP officers inspected the passengers on Van Beverhoudt’s flight with a K-9 unit, which alerted authorities of Van Beverhoudt’s two carry-on bags, which had 14 packages of cocaine in one and two more in the other, for a total of 17.8 kilograms, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Authorities interviewed Van Beverhoudt at the airport, where he claimed to be traveling to Maryland to meet a doctor, though “he could not identify the doctor or explain how the doctor would see him on the weekend and without a medical appointment.” He was indicted in March 2020.
His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 29.
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