A grand jury indicted a woman from Puerto Rico last week for allegedly attempting to smuggle 12 kilograms of cocaine into Connecticut through Bradley International Airport, according to the Department of Justice.
Court documents allege that Karina Cintron Santiago, of San Juan, reported her luggage missing after arriving at Bradley Airport from San Juan on a JetBlue flight on June 4.
However, airport authorities had checked Cintron Santiago's bag when she boarded the flight in San Juan, allegedly revealing 12 kilograms of cocaine, according to the DOJ.
The DOJ said that undercover investigators posed as JetBlue staff and contacted Cintron Santiago on June 7 to inform her that her bag would arrive at Bradley Airport the following day.
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Investigators allegedly placed the bag, which contained the cocaine, on a luggage carousel on June 8. They arrested Cintron Santiago after she arrived at Bradley Airport and attempted to collect the bag from the carousel, court documents allege.
Cintron Santiago appeared in front of a judge in Hartford Monday. She pled not guilty to the charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was released on $75,000 bond.
If sentenced, Cintron Santiago could be facing up to 20 years in prison.
