A man is facing smuggling charges after he was caught with packages of cocaine practically “busting out of his pants” upon arrival on a flight into Kennedy Airport last week, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials said.
When Juan Carlos Galan Luperon, a U.S. citizen, stepped off his flight from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on March 4, 2017, CBP officials said his pants were noticeably tight and he was acting nervous during the examination process.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents then escorted Luperon to a private room, where a search of his person revealed packages of white powder that tested positive for cocaine taped to both of his legs, officials said.
The seized packages, weighing about 10 lbs., have an estimated street value of more than $164,000, according to the officials.
“This seizure is another example of our CBP officers being ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of these illicit drugs,” said Leon Hayward, acting director of CBP’s New York field operations.
Luperon is now facing federal narcotics smuggling charges, the officials said.
