New York CBP Finds Cocaine in False Bottom Suitcase

Jamaica, NY – Falling into a routine and letting your guard down is not an option for U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers who are locked in a constant battle to halt the flow of illegal narcotics looking to enter the United States. 

On August 23, CBP officers stopped a passenger who arrived at JFK Airport on Caribbean Airlines from Georgetown, Guyana. The passenger, Careem Walsh, presented a United States passport and a brown suitcase for inspection. As the CBP officers were inspecting Walsh’s suitcase, they noticed that the sides and bottom of the suitcase looked and felt unusually thick.

New York Field Operations Director, Robert E. Perez said, “This method of attempted narcotics smuggling is not uncommon; however, CBP officers remain ever vigilant in their duties to stem the tide of illegal drugs destined for distribution within the United States.”

CBP officers probed the bottom of the suitcase revealing a white powdery substance, which tested positive for cocaine. CBP officers placed Walsh under arrest, while contacting Homeland Security Investigations for processing and follow-up investigation. Federal prosecution was accepted.

The total weight of the seized cocaine was 10.05 pounds with a street value of approximately $220,000.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.