A US national has been charged with smuggling crystal meth following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Jose Alexis Mendez, 28, was arrested at a hotel in Manchester on Friday after the recovery of a suitcase containing Class A drugs at Manchester Airport on the same day.

It is alleged the drugs, which weighed 47.9kg and had a street value of up to £479,000, were smuggled from Cancun in Mexico.

Mendez, of California, was remanded by magistrates on Saturday and will next appear at Manchester Crown Court on 12 June for a pre-trial preparatory hearing.

12 May 2025