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  4. CBP Officers Seize 86 Pellets of Cocaine From Swallower in San Juan

CBP Officers Seize 86 Pellets of Cocaine From Swallower in San Juan

Release Date
Tue, 02/15/2011

San Juan, P.R. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 86 pellets of cocaine on Saturday from a citizen of the Dominican Republic arriving this weekend from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Elvin Cairo Martinez, 30, arrived Friday at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport on board a Jet Blue Airlines flight, presenting himself for inspection by CBP as a Legal Permanent Resident.

Cairo Martinez was referred to secondary inspection, where after interview and examination CBP officers discovered a bundle of suspected pellets concealed the area below the belt.

CBP officers documented 35 pellets that field-tested positive for cocaine.

Under medical supervision, the defendant finalized yesterday the expulsion of an additional 51 pellets of suspected narcotics, which tested positive for cocaine.

Approximately 1194 grams of cocaine were seized with an approximate estimated street value of $29,000.

The custody of the defendant and the seized narcotics was transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation and presentation of criminal charges.

The US Attorney's office accepted the case for prosecution.

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.
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