Florida resident Alison Dominguez is suing American Airlines after she claims she was falsely accused of smuggling opiates into the U.S., according to a court filing (Dominguez v. American Airlines, Case No. 1:25-cv-24366, Southern District of Florida) reported by KTLA.
Dominguez alleges that an airline employee checked a bag containing more than 100 bottles of codeine under her name at Lynden Pindling Airport in Nassau, Bahamas — before she even arrived at the airport. The bag was allegedly picked up at U.S. baggage claim by co-conspirators exploiting the pre-clearance system, which allows passengers arriving from Nassau to bypass customs.
In April, Dominguez was arrested for drug trafficking but was later cleared when authorities confirmed she had never checked a bag herself. She spent nearly a week in horrific jail conditions, including sleeping on a soiled concrete floor, being threatened with sexual assault, and being told she might have been exposed to AIDS.
The lawsuit argues that American Airlines failed to verify the bag’s origin before reporting her to Bahamian authorities and U.S. Customs, which could have prevented this ordeal entirely.
Dominguez’s case highlights a chilling possibility: how easily a person can be falsely implicated in serious crimes due to system loopholes and human error. For travelers, it’s a stark reminder to consider the risks before checking a bag
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