A 32-year-old man was arrested after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers allegedly found ketamine and cocaine as he tried to pass through a Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport checkpoint before a flight to San Diego.
Hayden Cole Hidalgo made his first court appearance Saturday night, Arizona’s Family reported. Prosecutors said TSA officers found 70 grams of ketamine and 10 grams of cocaine in his possession. The agency contacted the Phoenix Police Department, whose officers tested the substances. Authorities have not publicly disclosed how the drugs were packaged, which checkpoint was involved or the exact charges filed.
Prosecutors asked the judge to set a $75,000 bond, citing what they described as Hidalgo’s previous drug-related criminal history and concern he could leave the area. The judge instead imposed a $25,000 cash-only bond. If released, Hidalgo must remain under house arrest and wear an electronic monitoring device.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 1.
TSA guidance says airport screening procedures focus on threats to aviation rather than drug enforcement. However, when officers discover a suspected illegal substance during screening, they must refer the matter to local, state or federal law enforcement. TSA permits lawful medications through checkpoints subject to screening, but the available reporting does not indicate Hidalgo claimed the substances were medically authorized.
The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies cocaine as a Schedule II controlled substance and ketamine as Schedule III. Ketamine has accepted medical uses as an anesthetic, and an approved form is used for treatment-resistant depression, but it is misused for dissociative and hallucinogenic effects.
The allegations against Hidalgo have not been proven in court. He is presumed innocent unless convicted, and the publicly available report does not identify a plea or defense attorney.
