NEW YORK: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Newark Liberty International Airport caught a passenger allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine hidden in film canisters into the United States.
According to CBP, the custom agents searched Andres Filipe Alean Espinosa’s baggage and found 36 film canisters. Espinosa is a U.S. citizen and was traveling from Colombia on May 26. The officials broke the film apart and found black disks filled with 10 lbs. of cocaine. They estimate the street value of the amount found at $177,000.
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Espinosa is facing federal prosecution for narcotics and smuggling charges and has been turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
“Cocaine is a dangerous narcotic, and CBP does its part in keeping these drugs off the streets.” Robert E. Perez, Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations, said in a press release. “Our officers are determined to protect the American people from these illicit substances.”
