By Ivan Pereira
Two men were arrested over the weekend at John F. Kennedy International Airport for allegedly trying to bring a different type of white Christmas to New York, the Queens district attorney said.
Puerto Rican nationals Enmanuel Rojas Peralta, 24, and Israel Rodriguez Jacobo, 25, were both arrested on Christmas Day after they were caught at the airport trying to smuggle 92 pounds of cocaine into New York, Queens DA Richard Brown said.
“Drugs such as these are a scourge on society and endanger our citizens – particularly our young people. Our law enforcement partners put a stop to the defendants’ reckless plan and they now face up to 20 years in prison if convicted,” he said in a statement.
Peralta and Jacobo were spotted by a Drug Enforcement Agent at the Delta Terminal around 6:45 p.m. following their arrival from San Juan when the agent saw them carrying four pieces of luggage, according to Brown.
The luggage contained 42 packages of cocaine that had a street value of $3 million and those packages were confiscated by the Port Authority, the DA said. The suspects had two baggage claims checks for the luggage, according to the DA.
Peralta and Jacobo were arraigned Sunday on criminal possession of a controlled substance charges and ordered held on $100,000 bail, Brown said. They were ordered to return to Queens Criminal Court Jan. 19, according to the DA.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
