According to the announcement made by federal authorities, customs officials at New York’s Kennedy International Airport intercepted $450,000 worth of cocaine from a wheelchair-bound visitor.
Officials with Customs and Border Protection say the arrest occurred on November 10 when they questioned a woman leaving Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic in a wheelchair whose wheels were stuck.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released this photo showing cocaine found in a wheelchair’s wheels after being confiscated from an international passenger at New York’s Kennedy Airport. According to a press statement issued by Customs and Border Protection on November 10, 2022, they made an arrest involving a woman who was attempting to enter the United States from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, while using a wheelchair whose wheels were stuck. (The United States Border Patrol as reported by AP)
According to a press release from the CPB, officers examining the wheelchair with an X-ray detected an “anomaly” in each of the four wheels. The police claimed to have discovered the cocaine-testing white powder in the tires.
Authorities reported that they had retrieved 28 pounds (12.7 kilos) of cocaine from the wheels, with a total market worth of $450,000. Emelinda Paulino De Rivas, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was taken into custody on smuggling allegations and handed over to HSI. Her legal representation status was unclear.
“CBP is unwavering in its commitment to collaborate with our partners to expose the transnational criminal networks that bring these lethal drugs into our communities,” the agency has said. New York CBP Field Operations Director Francis J. Russo made the following statement. Keeping these deadly drugs from entering the country and murdering our loved ones is CBP’s top priority, therefore they’re on duty around the clock, every day of the year.
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According to the announcement made by federal authorities, customs officials at New York’s Kennedy International Airport recovered $450,000 worth of cocaine from a wheelchair-bound visitor. Officials with Customs and Border Protection say the arrest occurred on November 10 when they questioned a woman leaving Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic in a wheelchair whose wheels were stuck.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released this photo showing cocaine found in a wheelchair’s wheels after being confiscated from an international passenger at New York’s Kennedy Airport.
According to a press statement issued by Customs and Border Protection on November 10, 2022, they made an arrest involving a woman who was attempting to enter the United States from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, while using a wheelchair whose wheels were stuck. (The United States Border Patrol as reported by AP)
According to a press release from the CPB, officers examining the wheelchair with an X-ray detected an “anomaly” in each of the four wheels. The police claimed to have discovered the cocaine-testing white powder in the tires.
Authorities reported that they had retrieved 28 pounds (12.7 kilos) of cocaine from the wheels, with a total market worth of $450,000. Emelinda Paulino De Rivas, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was taken into custody on smuggling allegations and handed over to HSI. Her legal representation status was unclear.
“CBP is unwavering in its commitment to collaborate with our partners to expose the transnational criminal networks that bring these lethal drugs into our communities,” the agency has said.
New York CBP Field Operations Director Francis J. Russo made the following statement. Keeping these deadly drugs from entering the country and murdering our loved ones is CBP’s top priority, therefore they’re on duty around the clock, every day of the year. All content is protected by copyright ’22 Nexstar Media, Inc. In no event is the content herein to be reproduced in any form, either electronically or in hard copy.