Drugs & Alcohol

Juice WRLD's movements had been under the microscope of federal agents since at least last month ... and TMZ has learned it started with another private jet search.

Juice's initial run-in with the feds went down on November 18 at LAX ... according to our law enforcement sources. The rapper and his entourage were boarding their flight bound for Sydney, Australia, when Customs Agents conducted the search.

We're told drug-sniffing dogs were all over Juice and co. and their luggage. It's unclear if agents found anything -- we do know the plane was eventually allowed to take off with Juice on board.

TMZ broke the story ... Homeland Security agents, operating under an FBI task force, searched Juice WRLD's private jet early Sunday morning when it landed at Chicago's Midway Airport.

As we reported, cops confiscated 70 lbs. of marijuana and 3 handguns after searching the plane. We're told Juice suffered his seizure -- which turned out to be fatal -- as agents were conducting their search. Our sources say someone in his entourage told cops he had taken several "unknown pills."

As for why the feds were so keyed in to his late-night flight to Chi-Town? It's possible it had something to do with the intel they'd gathered during the LAX search. Additionally, we're told the pilot had reported Juice's bodyguards for having handguns -- a no-no if they're not packed properly, or if the bodyguard doesn't have a permit.

We've reached out to the FBI for more detail on last month's search, but so far ... radio silence.

Juice WRLD's death is another heart-breaking example of the drug epidemic in rap ... so says ex-NBA player Larry Sanders, who tells TMZ Sports he hopes people can learn from the tragedy.

TMZ broke the story ... the 21-year-old died on Sunday after suffering a seizure. Law enforcement sources say the "Robbery" rapper swallowed a bunch of Percs to hide them from the feds during a drug raid, which could have played a role in his death.

Of course, rappers like Mac Miller and Lil Peep have also died due to drug-related issues ... and Sanders says the glorification of drugs in rap culture is becoming a serious issue.

"I think these kids are starting young and it's getting embedded into the culture," Sanders says.

"It's an epidemic. Hopefully, the kids can learn from these horrible mistakes and make better choices, but it seems like the outcome's the same."

Of course, Sanders has been outspoken about his own battle with depression and anxiety ... and has become an advocate for mental health treatment in the hopes people can explore safer options than self-medicating.

"The conversation is what's gonna be important ... inspiring the youth to be brave enough to talk about how they feel."

Weed is now LEGAL in the MLB ... the league is lifting its ban on marijuana for minor leaguers, removing the drug from its prohibited substance list.

As part of the MLB's efforts to crack down on opioid use in and around its league ... it has agreed to stop testing minor leaguers for weed, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports.

Of course, the MLB already didn't test its big leaguers for marijuana ... but the rule change for everyone else is a big deal for the sport.

Previously, minor league players faced a 25-game suspension for a first positive weed test, a 50-game suspension for a second test, a 100-game suspension for a third and a ban for LIFE for a fourth.

Ex-Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress is among the list of several current MLB players who have previously been popped for using weed in the minors.

As for the why now ... MLB officials are clearly trying to deter players from turning to opioids to fix their issues -- this after Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs tragically died from an accidental overdose on fentanyl, oxycodone and oxymorphone this past year.

MLB still lists dozens of recreational drugs on its banned substance list ... including cocaine, LSD and MDMA.

Juice WRLD might've made a fatal decision as law enforcement searched his private jet -- swallowing a bunch of painkillers in an attempt to hide them from the feds.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the pilot who was flying Juice's private plane alerted authorities on the ground that the rapper's entourage had guns on them -- a big no-no in air travel. When they landed, FBI and FAA agents were waiting for Juice and company.

We're told at some point between the plane landing and the feds conducting their search ... Juice was seen swallowing several Percocet pills in what people believed was an attempt to hide them. Our sources say the pills might've contributed to his death in a possible OD.

An autopsy was performed on the rapper Monday, but additional testing, including toxicology, cardiac pathology and neuropathology is still needed before determining an official cause.

The private jet Juice WRLD flew on to Chicago was loaded down with 70 pounds of marijuana ... and cops say people on the plane told them the rapper had popped several pills prior to suffering seizures.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the FBI confiscated the huge stash of weed from several suitcases that were on board the flight. We obtained this photo of the marijuana and luggage in the private jet terminal at Midway.

According to law enforcement, several members of Juice's team aboard the flight -- which landed around 1 AM Sunday -- told them Juice had taken "several unknown pills" prior to the seizures which led to him getting rushed to a hospital.

Further, we're told one of Juice's associates told authorities the 21-year-old rapper has a Percocet problem. Our law enforcement sources also say a bottle of codeine cough syrup was found on the plane.

Juice has admitted abusing lean, or codeine cough syrup, in the past -- and taking prescription pills like Percocet. His cause of death hasn't been determined ... the Cook County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy on Monday.

Two men -- Chris Long and Henry Dean -- were arrested for possession of handguns. We're told cops recovered 3 guns in total. Dean was released without bail, and Long is out after posting a $1,500 bond.

Amanda Detmer -- the actress who plays Tracy on "Empire" -- is in hot water after cops say she left the scene of an accident ... and was driving under the influence.

Detmer was arrested for DUI Sunday night in Chico, CA, after allegedly smashing her vehicle into a utility pole and then taking off. Law enforcement tells TMZ ... it responded to a report about the pole and conducted a search of the area, eventually locating a vehicle with severe front-end damage.

Cops say Detmer was driving it, and when they pulled her over they confirmed she was responsible for the collision. Their investigation also determined she was drinking and driving.

She was placed under arrest and is now facing charges of DUI and leaving the scene of a traffic collision.

The Russians are OUT at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo AND the 2022 World Cup -- at least for now -- because they're HORRIBLE cheaters, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency.

WADA has voted unanimously to hit Russia with a 4-year ban from all major international sporting events ... including the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup.

Here's why ... WADA officials say Russian authorities TAMPERED with a laboratory database in an effort to cover up HUNDREDS of potential doping cases involving Russian athletes.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said last month the investigation revealed "flagrant manipulation" of the lab data.

Now, The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has 21 days to appeal the ban -- and Russian officials have strongly suggested they will fight the punishment.

WADA President Sir Craig Reedie is digging in his heels -- saying in a statement, "For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport.

"The blatant breach by the Russian authorities of RUSADA's reinstatement conditions, approved by the ExCo in September 2018, demanded a robust response. That is exactly what has been delivered today."

Dave Grohl is taking audience participation to the next level ... 'cause if you're thirsty at a Foo Fighters show, ya just might score a free beer ... and slam it onstage with Dave!!!

FF played the Intersect Music Festival in Las Vegas Saturday night, and Dave invited one lucky, Santa hat-wearing, beer-loving fan up for a shotgun challenge. Both cracked their cans of brew -- Coors Light, apparently -- at the same time.

Looks like the fan edged out Dave, who has lots of experience drinking onstage -- it's kinda his thing.

Although, thankfully, this time he managed to avoid falling. Dave joked that shotgunning made the beer "surprisingly refreshing."

Later, he got serious (not really) about getting his plans for after the show. Remember, they were playing a festival, and apparently Dave was keeping a close eye on the EDM acts playing a neighboring stage.

Mama June and her boyfriend, Geno, are still living life on the road -- this time, they surfaced near Atlanta and looked worse for wear ... more so than usual these days.

The couple was spotted checking out of the Hyatt Place Atlanta Airport-South in College Park, GA -- about 9 miles outside of central ATL. We're told the person who took these photos chatted with MJ and Geno for a bit ... apparently, they'd been there for 4 days.

As for where to next ... our sources say June and Geno said they were driving back down to McDonough to find a new place to stay. Geno's still got that trusty SUV as you can see.

As we reported ... June and Geno were just seen up at a casino in North Carolina on Black Friday, where they were walking the grounds and peeping the slots ... drink in hand. Looks like she had something to sip on here too, but it appears to just be water.

Either way, it's pretty clear that Geno and June are still living out of hotels -- like we've been told they were doing for the past several months now -- and it's also obvious June's family is nowhere near getting back into her life, despite their repeated pleas of reconciliation.

If there's one silver lining -- and there aren't too many in her situation -- it's that these two are somehow coming across cash to pay for these hotel stays. This particular Hyatt can run anywhere from $80 to $137 a night ... depending on how far out you book it.

Elliott from 'E.T.' allegedly tried to pull a fast one during his Oregon DUI stop by brazenly tampering with his urine test, then playing it cool in hopes of passing a blood alcohol test.

Henry Thomas refused to complete breathalyzer and field sobriety tests ... according to the Tualatin PD report on his October DUI arrest, and instead, he was taken to the station for a urine test.

In the report, obtained by TMZ, cops say they placed the actor in a holding cell before requesting the urine sample. As an officer was reading Henry the consent form, cops say he interrupted, asked for the cup and went over to the toilet to get down to biz.

Police say the officer turned her back to Thomas' cell and continued reading the consent form, and heard him taking a leak. But, when he returned the cup, cops say it was not warm and the sample was completely clear and filled to the brim.

Cops asked Thomas if he tampered with the urine sample by dipping it into the toilet, and he denied it.

As we first reported, Tualatin cops responded to a call of Thomas being asleep at the wheel in the middle of an intersection, and say they found 'fast acting THC' in his car.

Anyway, cops say while they were transporting Thomas to a hospital for a blood test, he threatened to sue the police department and the city ... and bragged about being the child star from 'E.T.'

He got one more chance to provide another urine sample at the hospital, but police say the actor claimed he didn't have to pee and again insisted he didn't tamper with the earlier sample.

But, just like Steven Spielberg's iconic 1982 film, there's a happy ending for Elliott.

IF he cheated the pee test, he never got busted for it, because he took a sweet plea deal and won't spend any time behind bars.

All that controversy over the Peloton commercial critics are blasting for body-shaming just landed the star of it a hilarious new gig ... with Ryan Reynolds.

Monica Ruiz is the actress who plays the wife -- sorry, long-suffering wife to many -- in that Christmas gift themed fitness spot, but now she's also starring in an ad for Aviation Gin ... and it plays perfectly off all the Peloton buzz.

Based on the commercial ... the formerly spinning-crazed wife is now more interested in downing booze with her girls. The strong insinuation here is she's left the husband who "forced" her to get on the bike every day.

The ladies toast to "new beginnings" before the wife pounds her martini. One of her GFs even says, "You look great, by the way."

Of course, Aviation is Ryan's company ... and ya gotta hand it to his marketing team for capitalizing off the social media uproar over Peloton.

All the backlash against the Peloton has impacted the ad's actors -- Monica and her "hubby" Sean Hunter -- who've dodged interviews all week. Hunter did eventually speak out in "Psychology Today."

Leave it to Reynolds, though, to lighten the mood. He tweeted his company's commercial with the caption, "Exercise bike not included."

Richard Grieco of "21 Jump Street" fame tried to fly from Texas to Pennsylvania -- but he ended up in jail instead -- because according to cops, he had too much to drink.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ cops were flagged to Grieco's gate at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Thursday by an agent who denied him boarding. We're told Grieco was hunched over the counter, yelling at employees and slurring his speech ... he also reeked of booze.

Cops say they sat Grieco down for a chat and he admitted to drinking two cranberry vodkas before the flight. Grieco was taken into custody for public intoxication and officers note he was very unsteady on his feet when they brought him in for booking.

What's more, according to the arrest report -- obtained by TMZ -- Grieco had prescription Klonopin in his bag ... which he said he takes because he's a nervous flier. The cops note the pill shouldn't be taken with alcohol.

The airline booked Grieco another flight for Friday morning.

We reached out and spoke to Grieco who tells us the whole thing was an unfortunate incident and "not that big of a deal."

Country singer Kylie Rae Harris was wasted and going over 100 MPH during a fatal car crash that killed her and another person ... this according to law enforcement.

Kylie died in a car crash on a New Mexico highway back in September, and the Taos County Sheriff says its investigation determined she was driving 102 MPH when her car struck the rear of another vehicle in the three-car collision.

According to cops ... Kylie's car was still going 95 MPH when it crashed head-on into a second car traveling the opposite direction, killing a 16-year-old girl.

As for the toxicology report, Kylie had a BAC of .28 at the time of the crash -- more than three times the legal limit.

The autopsy report reveals Kylie suffered several fractures, including broken skull bones, and cuts to her face and legs. The docs say her breastbone, pelvis, and multiple ribs were also broken.

Harris was reportedly convicted of driving while intoxicated back in 2017 and had been ordered to install an ignition interlock device in her car.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Antwaun Woods was arrested in Texas for weed on Tuesday, law enforcement confirms.

The 26-year-old -- who started 8 games for the Cowboys in 2018 -- was busted in Frisco during a traffic stop where things clearly went south.

Woods is now facing multiple charges including possession of marijuana over 2 ounces but less than 4 ounces and tampering with evidence. He was also cited for possession of paraphernalia, as first reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Woods was a stud defensive lineman at USC from 2012 to 2015 -- but didn't get selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Instead, he signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent -- and later signed a 2-year deal with the Cowboys in 2018.

So far, he only has 7 total tackles in 2019 with 0 sacks.

Sam Hunt's back in front of his fans for the first time since getting busted for a DUI ... and he says he'll be doing a lot more of it in 2020.

The country music star hit the stage Wednesday night at the RADIO.COM concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- his first concert since his arrest in Nashville a few weeks back.

Sam didn't touch on the DUI, choosing to focus instead on just putting on a good show ... and making a big announcement about new music coming soon and a vow to hit the road and tour a lot more next year.

The Barclays show was Hunt's first time performing in NYC in over 2 years, and he played the hits like "Cop Car," "Body Like a Back Road," and "House Party" ... as you see in the clip.

Interestingly, he canceled his appearance Thursday night at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards back in the city where he was arrested.

As we reported, cops said Hunt reeked of booze and his eyes were bloodshot when they pulled him over for allegedly driving the wrong way down a Nashville street.

Police say they asked for his driver's license, which was sitting in his lap, but Sam instead handed over a credit card and a passport. Cops say he also bombed his field sobriety test and blew a .173 -- more than twice the legal limit.

Sam was arrested, booked and released ... and he's been charged with DUI.

Hunt broke his silence a couple days later, saying he made some really bad choices and vowed not to repeat his mistakes.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is sponsoring a scholarship you don't see every day ... a free 30-day drug and alcohol treatment program.

Here's the situation ... Mike and his wife, Lauren, are partnering with Banyan Treatment Centers and they're going to hook up one lucky person with the gift of free rehab.

The scholarship application just went live online, and Mike and Lauren will pick one worthy recipient before announcing their choice on Christmas Eve -- the 4-year anniversary of Mike's sobriety.

Banyan is putting up the money for the cost of the 30-day treatment and will screen all applicants.

The "Jersey Shore" star recently toured one of Banyan's rehab facilities in Florida, and there are other locations in Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

As you know, Mike went to rehab in 2015 after rising to fame on "Jersey Shore" ... and now he's using his platform to help save someone else's life.