Traveler arrested at JFK Airport for smuggling cocaine inside bags of frozen shrimp, authorities say
NEW YORK -- A traveler was arrested John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday for allegedly smuggling cocaine inside bags of frozen shrimp.
According to the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, 22-year-old Zacharie Scott arrived at JFK on a flight from Guyana on Friday and was selected for a secondary screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Inside Scott's two suitcases, officers say they found multiple packages of frozen jumbo shrimp wrapped in sealed plastic. When they cut open the packages, they say they found multiple bricks of cocaine, totaling nearly 18.5 kilograms.
Authorities say Scott told investigators he had smuggled the cocaine in exchange for an expected payment of $5,000-6,000.
Scott, who lives in Guyana but is also a U.S. citizen, was arrested Friday and appeared before a judge Saturday morning. He is being detained pending a bail hearing on Tuesday.
If convicted, Scott could face up to 20 years in prison.