A man traveling from Santiago, Dominican Republican, tried to smuggle cocaine through his sock and laptop bag, but was caught by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.
Angelo Fernandez, a U.S. Citizen, flew into John F. Kennedy Airport on April 29. During his exam, CBP officers noticed that the inside panels of his computer bag felt unusually thick and that the bag was heavier than normal when empty.
When Fernandez was searched in a private room, officers felt a “rigid object” in his groin area. They pulled out a sock with 100 pellets. Officers probed the pellets, which produced a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
His laptop bag was also probed, revealing the white powder.
Fernandez was arrested for importing a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. The approximate value of the cocaine he carried totaled $160,000.
Fernandez now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges.
