MIAMI -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was found Wednesday at Miami International Airport allegedly carrying a water bottle with a hidden compartment, TSA Operations Center Officials said.
Vick was going through the Concourse G screening point to board an AirTran flight when officials said he was reluctant to give up his bottle of water.
Airport officials said that it was a 20 oz. Aquafina bottle and the bottle's label concealed a seam, which separated the top and the bottom of the bottle.
Both ends were sealed by clear partitions and what appeared to be a silicone sealant, TSA supervisors said.
The concealed compartment contained a small amount of a dark particulate and officials describe a pungent aroma closely associated with Marijuana.
Officials said that the lower half of the bottle was almost completely full of a clear liquid and the top half contained a small amount of that same clear liquid.
TSA officials said that when the bottle was held upright, it appeared to be half full of water.
A TSA screener identified the man who was reluctant to give up the bottle as Vick.
Miami-Dade police have received flight reservation confirmation that Vick was on an AirTran flight No. 338 Wednesday to Atlanta.
Vick has not been arrested and the substance found inside the bottle is being analyzed at a Miami-Dade Police Department lab.
QB Vick raises suspicion at Miami airport
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was reluctant to throw away his 20-ounce water bottle at a Miami International Airport security checkpoint Wednesday morning.
The reason, police say: The plastic bottle had a secret compartment that, when opened, had a dark residue and a pungent odor of marijuana.
Vick boarded his 8:20 a.m. AirTran flight to Atlanta before screeners called police. Now Miami-Dade police are examining the bottle and could charge him if it tests positive for drugs.
Police notified the National Football League about the investigation, Miami Herald news partner WFOR-CBS4 reported. Joel Segal, Vick's agent, declined to comment late Wednesday.
According to a Miami-Dade police report, here's what happened:
Vick, 26, balked when security at the Concourse G checkpoint asked him to surrender his water bottle, which had an Aquafina label. Security regulations prohibit travelers from carrying bottles with more than 3 ounces of liquid through checkpoints.
Eventually, Vick left the bottle behind and went to his gate. But his initial reluctance to do so aroused the suspicion of Transportation Security Administration screener Gertrude Joseph. She pulled the bottle out of a recycle bin and notified her supervisor when she discovered its hidden compartment.
Screeners told police they recognized Vick as the pro football player, and they were certain it was his water bottle because they saw him throw it away and it was the only water bottle in the recycle bin.
Miami-Dade police reviewed surveillance video from the checkpoint and said it corroborated the screeners' version of events. They also confirmed Vick was a passenger on AirTran Flight 338 from Miami to Atlanta.
The bottle had a clear partition in the middle, separating the bottle into two compartments.
''The concealed compartment contained a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana,'' Miami-Dade Detective Kevin Kozak wrote in his report. ``The top half contained a small amount of clear liquid. When held upright the bottle appeared to be half full of water.''
Vick, the top NFL draft pick in 2001, is the older brother of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Marcus Vick and second cousin of Oakland Raiders quarterback Aaron Brooks. Vick is known around the NFL for his ability to scramble away from defenders and make dazzling running plays. He is third on the NFL's all-time rushing list for quarterbacks, running for more than 1,000 yards this past season.
Vick is two years into a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons.
