JAMAICA: U. S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists and officers discovered a special surprise inside containers of candy carried by a passenger arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport.CBP at JFK Seizes Cocaine in Candy
On April 18, CBP agriculture specialists were preforming an x-ray examination of luggage belonging to Ms. Petra Medarda, a citizen of Mexico, who had arrived on a flight from Mexico City, Mexico. CBP agriculture specialists performing the x-ray examination noticed an anomaly on the x-ray of rectangular shaped objects, and discovered that a package was concealed within the containers of candy.
CBP agriculture specialists requested assistance from CBP officers who escorted Ms. Medarda to a private search room where CBP officers probed the concealed package producing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
In total, CBP discovered eight bricks of cocaine weighing approximately 10 lbs. with an estimated street value of $175,000.
“This latest seizure demonstrates the vigilance of our CBP officers, and their excellence in detecting those who would try to smuggle these illegal substances,” said Robert E. Perez, Director, Field Operations New York.
CBP officers placed Ms. Medarda under arrest and turned her over to the New York Police Department. She now faces state narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the Queens County District Court.
All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
