The TSA is a little overwhelmed because of the shutdown right now.  But they still won't miss something this blatant very often...

A 28-year-old guy from Texas named Antonio Salis was arrested last Thursday when he tried to fly from Sacramento to Austin with 43 pounds of marijuana in his luggage. The TSA in Sacramento actually missed it. But his bags got flagged at the airport in Austin after a drug dog smelled the pot.

If you're wondering, the drive from Sacramento to Austin takes about 27 hours.  I'm not an expert, but it seems like that might have been the safer option for Antonio.

After his bags were flagged, he tried to claim they weren't actually his. He told police he found them on the street before his flight and decided to take them. Great excuse.

Austin Police Department
Austin Police Department
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He's now facing a third-degree felony charge for drug possession, and could be looking at up to 10 years in prison.

The good news is his luggage was 7 pounds under the airline's 50-pound limit... so he avoided that extra baggage fee. If it had been over 50 pounds of pot, he'd also be looking at up to 20 years in prison instead of 10.

Read more at KXAN

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