By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, JAMAICA, N.Y., Tues. April, 4, 2017: A Jamaican-born man pretending to be a “dead-heading crewmember” with Delta Airlines has been busted by U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Queen’s, NY JFK International Airport.
US CBP said Mario Hudson, a citizen of Jamaica, arrived from Kingston on March 27, 2017, dressed in what appeared to be a pilot’s uniform and claimed he was a crewmember. But during a baggage inspection, CBP officers discovered that Hudson had what appeared to be two fraudulent Delta Airlines ID badges.
During a further examination of Hudson’s luggage, CBP officers noticed that the sides and bottom appeared to be unusually thick and heavy. Hudson was escorted to a private search room where his suitcase was probed revealing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.
Hudson was arrested for the import of a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. The total weight of cocaine seized was approximately 5 lbs. with an estimated street value of $85,000.
He 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.
“This traveler may have been inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Catch Me if You Can,’” CBP said in a statement.
