A man was arrested last month at John F. Kennedy International Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine in his underwear, authorities said.
Customs and Border Protection officers discovered the drugs after they said Romario Lewis, a Jamaican citizen who had flown in from Kingston, appeared nervous during the examination of his suitcase on April 16. Officers then conducted a physical search of Lewis and found two packages of cocaine in his underwear.
The packages weighed approximately 1 pound, with a street value of more than $19,000, according to DEA statistics.
“This seizure is another example of our CBP officers being ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of illicit drugs,” said Robert E. Perez, director of CBP’s New York Field Operations.
Lewis was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges.
