According to reports, a woman from Dominican Republic who was traveling to New York City last week was detained at JFK Airport in Queens. She had allegedly smuggled $450,000 worth cocaine in her wheelchair.
Emelinda Paulino de Rivas was busted by Customs officers after she arrived at the airport with a wheelchair on Nov. 10. Authorities from U.S. Customs and Border Protection saw the wheels. “were not turning,” CBS News reported.
The officers x-rayed the wheelchair and said they noticed an “anomaly” in all four wheels, according to CBS News. They then probed the tires and pulled out a white substance which tested positive for cocaine, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated in a press release.
De Rivas, who was being held for the illegal import of a controlled drug, was taken into custody and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
The cocaine seized weighed approximately 28 lbs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that the drug had an estimated street value $450,000.
“CBP stands steadfast and determined in working with our partners to identify the trans- national criminal networks responsible for importing these deadly drugs into our neighborhoods.” said Francis J. Russo, director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “CBP’s mission is to guard the borders and ports of entry 24/7, 365 days a year to prevent these dangerous drugs from potentially killing our family, friends, and neighbors.”
De Rivas now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the U.S. Eastern District Court of New York.
Inside Edition Digital’s attempts to reach the U.S. Attorney’s Office for comment have been unsuccessful.
It remains to be seen if De Rivas has pleaded guilty or received legal representation. Inside Edition Digital reached out to New York’s Eastern District Court for information and records, but has not received a response.