Exclusive | Former HS valedictorian busted with massive stash of party drug poppers in Argentina in what could be largest seizure ever

BUENOS AIRES –– A former Missouri high school valedictorian was busted smuggling a massive stash of the party drug nitrate “poppers” into Argentina in his suitcase — in what sources said could be the largest seizure of the drug by customs agents.Braiden John Wilson, 27, was caught by Argentine customs officers with around half a gallon of butyl nitrate — a chemical compound that produces a brief euphoria when inhaled — at Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires on Sept.13, 2024.The bust, which had not previously been reported, came to light as the former whiz kid from the Bismarck High School class of 2017 completed a sweetheart probation deal last week.The drugs –– which are illegal in the South American country and classed as a “hazardous inhalant” that cannot be sold for human consumption in the US –– were in 55 vials with brand names including “Rush,” “Gold Rush” and “Jungle Juice,” according to court documents.“I like to use them socially,” Wilson told authorities after his arrest, according to the docs.

“I had absolutely no intention of selling them or smuggling them, which is why I did not have them hidden.“You can buy them in any store and online.Poppers work very quickly –– as soon as you open them, they evaporate, which is why I had several bottles,” he explained.Wilson also had five iPhones and a stack of cash on him, the docs show.

Officials seized the phones and the $1,201 in cash.The 27-year-old told the agents that he had traveled to Argentina for a friend’s birthday.Official sources told The Post that it is by far the largest confiscation of poppers by Argentine customs officers in recent years, with most of the 76 seizures in the last two years typically ranging from one to five vials.Wilson was charged with attempted smuggling of drug contraband and would have faced a three-year suspended prison sentence and strict monitoring if he was found guilty at a trial.However, the child prodigy, who currently ...