DALLAS, Texas - A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a Dallas Police K9 helped uncover approximately 180 pounds of methamphetamine packed inside nine suitcases traveling through Dallas Love Field.
Jakoi Rice, 23, was convicted of Manufacture or Delivery of a Controlled Substance Over 400 Grams and sentenced to 20 years in prison on August 18, 2026, according to the Dallas Police Department.
The case began in October 2025, when a Dallas Police narcotics detective and K9 Ballantine were conducting routine inspections of luggage arriving at Love Field.
Police said K9 Ballantine alerted his handler to the presence of narcotics in six suitcases that had arrived on a flight from Los Angeles, California. The luggage was scheduled to continue to Birmingham, Alabama.
As officers pulled those bags aside for further inspection, Ballantine alerted to three additional suitcases that had arrived on a separate flight from Los Angeles and were also headed to Birmingham.
Police Seize Approximately 180 Pounds of Methamphetamine
Investigators searched the nine suitcases and reported finding a combined approximately 180 pounds of methamphetamine.
Police then identified five passengers who had checked the luggage on the two flights.
Officers assigned to the Dallas Police Department's Love Field Unit located the five suspects before they could board their connecting flights to Birmingham and took them into custody.
Police identified those arrested as Curtis Steve, 35; Temarcus Jones, 37; Melanie James, 30; Arianna Booth, 23; and Jakoi Rice, 23.
All five were charged with Manufacture or Delivery of a Controlled Substance Over 400 Grams, a first-degree felony.
Rice's case resulted in a conviction on August 18, 2026, and a 20-year prison sentence.
The criminal cases against Steve, Jones, James and Booth remain pending trial. The charges against those defendants are allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Dallas Police said the investigation is documented under case number 147708-2025.
