American, 22, fined $1,000 for importing 7 g of marijuana at Belize airport
American tourist Nathan Andre Irons, 22, was caught with 7 grams of marijuana at Philip Goldson International Airport on 10 February 2025 and charged with importation of a controlled drug. After a seizure in custody delayed his arraignment, he pleaded guilty in the Belize City Magistrate's Court and paid a $1,000 fine plus $5 in costs.
🇧🇿 Philip Goldson International Airport, Ladyville · Belize
Nathan Andre Irons, a 22-year-old American delivery driver from Illinois, was
arrested for importing marijuana into Belize and later suffered a seizure while
in police custody.[1]His arrest occurred on 10 February 2025, when an
Anti-Narcotics Unit officer at the airport was alerted by Customs and
Immigration officials to a strong marijuana odor from an arriving passenger.[1]Officers searching his luggage found 7 grams of marijuana, hidden with
Amoxicillin pills inside a white plastic bottle labeled “Levetiracetam” in a red
and black duffle bag, and he was charged with importation of a controlled drug.[1]
As Ladyville police prepared to escort Irons to court for arraignment, he
suffered a seizure and was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for
treatment while relatives waited outside the Belize City Magistrate’s Court.[1]After treatment he was brought to Court #2, where he pleaded guilty and the
magistrate imposed a non-custodial sentence of a $1,000 fine plus a $5 court
fee, which he paid immediately.[1]Failure to pay would have meant a 10-month
prison term, and his prompt payment let him walk free in time for his 23rd
birthday on 12 February.[1]
Photos and video
Photograph of Nathan Andre Irons published with the report on his arrest and fine.Photo details
The article states the fine as $1,000 plus a $5 court fee without naming the currency; it is recorded as Belize dollars, the currency Belize courts use when reporting fines this way.
The article gives the arrest as 10 February 2025 and was posted on 11 February 2025; no separate date is given for the court appearance, so 11 February 2025 is used as the incident date.
The 7 grams is reported as marijuana found on Irons, with no laboratory confirmation reported.
No medical details of the seizure or treatment were published beyond the hospital transfer and his later court appearance.
Only one accessible source for this event was found after searching in English.
The article also mentions an American couple found with 6 grams on 9 February; that is a different event and is not covered here.
Orlando Anthony Fisher, 65, pleaded guilty to possession of 61 grams of cannabis with intent to supply in Belize City. The magistrate sentenced him to three months in prison, his sixth drug conviction after five previous drug offenses.
Evan Michael Gillett pleaded guilty after police found 1,295 g of cannabis at a Belize City residence. The court suspended his 21-month prison term for two years and fined him $6,000.
Charged 2Cannabis 1.295 kgPrison 1 year 9 months (suspended for 2 years)Fine BZD 6,000
American visitor Gia Fields was caught at Philip Goldson International Airport with 52 grams of cannabis hidden on her body after arriving from Atlanta. She pleaded guilty to importation of a controlled drug and was fined $1,500.
A 31-year-old New York man was arrested at Philip Goldson International Airport on 10 September 2025 with 53 grams of marijuana in his luggage on an American Airlines flight. He pleaded guilty to importation of a controlled drug and was fined $2,000 plus $5 in costs, with one year in prison if he did not pay.
