By Steve Neavling
A woman returning to John F. Kennedy International Airport from the Dominican Republican had concealed 100 pellets of cocaine in her bra, vagina, anus, and purse, U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities said.
Yerlina Lantigua Hernandez DeNova, an American citizen, was “full of pellets” and now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges, CBP said Tuesday.
Authorities said they found three pellets of cocaine in her purse during an inspection on April 9. After she was escorted to a private room room for a more thorough search, CBP officers found pellets stuffed in her bra, and she admitted she had “inserted pellets vaginally and anally,” CBP said.
A total of 3 pounds of cocaine was found. The estimated street value was more than $94,000.
“This seizure is another example of our CBP officers being ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of these illicit drugs,” Marty Rabon, acting director of CBP’s New York Field Operations, said in a statement.
