One lady from the Dominican Republic took the term “rock it til the wheels fall off” to new heights last week. Emelinda Paulino De Rivas landed at JFK Airport from Punta Cana with 28 pounds of cocaine in the wheels of her wheelchair according to authorities.
Cocaine Cowgirl
Once De Rivas arrived at customs, officials noticed her wheels had trouble moving. They put the wheelchair through the x-ray machine and found 28 pounds of cocaine. Agents immediately took her into custody. Officials estimate the cocaine was valued at close to $450,000.
De Rivas is now facing federal charges for smuggling narcotics.
Customs Border Patrol Don't Play
“The wheels on this passenger’s wheelchair stopped going round and round on arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport when U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized her loaded wheelchair,” the agency wrote in their report after the bust on Monday.
“CBP stands steadfast and determined in working with our partners to identify the transnational criminal networks responsible for importing these deadly drugs into our neighborhoods,” stated Francis J. Russo, New York’s CBP Director. “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.”