As Emelinda Paulino De Rivas, a traveler from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, arrived at JFK International Airport in New York City on November 10, she was approached by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
They noticed something fishy about her wheelchair wheels. They weren’t turning properly.
They required her to run her luggage and wheelchair through a security x-ray, and she was interviewed by the CBP personnel as part of their standard procedures.
During the examination, officials inserted a probe through the tires of the wheelchair. White powder poured out and it tested positive for cocaine. Agents recovered a total of 28 pounds of cocaine from the four wheels.
The wheelchair-bound woman was charged with an attempt to smuggle illegal substances. It was revealed that the seized drugs had a street value of about $450,000. De Rivas will be prosecuted by the US District Attorney’s Office.
Francis J. Russo, the director of CBP’s New York Field Operations, said that they will continue to work with other agencies in investigating and catching those at the top who are responsible for the failed drug-smuggling attempt. Russo said that the CBP’s mission is to always protect the borders and ports from illegal acts such as this one.
