What did Terese White do? Texas flight attendant pleads guilty to fentanyl smuggling allegations

Terese White, a Texas off-duty flight attendant who attempted to board a plane to Boston from San Diego International Airport with more than three pounds of fentanyl in October, pleaded guilty to a federal drug possession charge this week.

On Thursday, December 22, 2022, Dallas resident Terese White, 41, admitted smuggling fentanyl by taping it into her abdomen and flying from Dallas to San Diego on October 4. White was caught by the TSA when she tried to get on another plane to Boston from the San Diego airport.

Prosecutors said that White, who was off-duty at the time, was caught after she set off a walk-through metal detector and body scanner at the San Diego airport.

---

Everything you need to know about the Terese White plea agreement

As per the U.S attorney’s office, on October 4, 2022, Terese White, an off-duty flight attendant from Dallas, abused her privileges when she skipped the regular TSA screening and flew from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to San Diego International Airport with fentanyl taped to her abdomen.

Shortly after she arrived at the San Diego airport, White exited through the secure area but was caught while attempting to bypass regular TSA screening using the Known Crew Member queue as she tried to board a plane to Boston.

White was subjected to regular screening despite using the Known Crew Member queue and was arrested after authorities discovered she had concealed drugs.

As per CBS, when White was found with the drugs, she said that the drugs were a "mercury pack" given to her by her friend to wear for weight loss.

Last week, White pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and is slated for sentencing on March 24, 2023. If convicted, White could face up to twenty years in prison. In the plea agreement, White admitted that she knowingly abused her privileges as a flight attendant and used her status to smuggle drugs.

---

Following Terese White's plea, DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe, said:

“Drug traffickers use air, land and sea for personal gain, putting people’s lives in danger. We will continue the great work with our partners to bring traffickers to justice and keep our community safe.”

As per the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is over a hundred times stronger than morphine and more susceptible to addiction. In August, the DEA issued a warning to the public to beware of the “rainbow fentanyl” pills coated in color, giving them the obvious appearance of candy.