JAMAICA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection made two drug arrests at John F. Kennedy International Airport after tracking suspicious packages moving through the area, the agency said.
On Jan. 12, officers intercepted Luz Massiel Pérez Arlequín, who was arriving from the Dominican Republic, and found that her sneakers had unusually thick soles, the CBP said. Upon investigation, the agency said it found a white powder in the shoes that tested positive for cocaine.
Officers also found cocaine stuffed in a bra inside the luggage, the CBP said, leading to the seizure of more than 2 pounds of the drug.
The following morning, officers found that Samuel Osafo had arrived on a flight from Ghana with an unusually thick suitcase. Upon investigation, CBP officers found brown powder inside the suitcase, which tested positive for more than 11 pounds of heroin.
“CBP officers at JFK demonstrate daily their determination and vigilance in keeping these illegal and potentially dangerous narcotics out of the United States,” said Robert E. Perez, director of field operations in New York for CBP.
Both passengers were turned over to agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and will face federal narcotics smuggling charges, customs said.
