The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a woman accused of smuggling more than five kilos of cocaine in her checked bag on a flight to Connecticut was detained.
Hecmarieliz Cruz-Acevedo, 22, flew from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Bradley International Airport on May 9. Officials said she had a checked bag that contained five rectangular-sharped objects consistent with narcotics packages.
After the flight landed at Bradley, a state police canine detected the presence of narcotics in the bag. So, investigators stopped Cruz-Acevedo at baggage claim.
Officials said a search of the bag revealed five individual bags, each containing slightly more than one kilogram of cocaine, located between articles of clothing.
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She was detained and faces charges including possession with intent to distribute, which officials say carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
The incident is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Connecticut State Police.
