(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Days before Christmas, an alleged smuggler apparently thought Easter eggs would be the perfect ploy to conceal 14 pounds of cocaine.
It didn't work.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers sensed something was a little off with candy for the wrong holiday, a spokeswoman said.
"That's certainly an anomaly, isn't it? They're trained to detect anomalies in all kinds of situations," said Lee Harty, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "It's an unusual concealment method -- at least for this time of year. Maybe not for spring."
Esteban Galtes, 23, of Miami, Florida, was scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday for allegedly smuggling cocaine into Los Angeles International Airport after a weeklong trip in Colombia, federal officials said.
Galtes is charged with importation of a controlled substance, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, authorities said.
Last Thursday night, Galtes' luggage was found to conceal more than 14 pounds of cocaine during a search by customs officers, officials said. Much of the cocaine was camouflaged as pastel-colored Easter egg candies, and the remainder of the cocaine was hidden under a cardboard false bottom of a paper shopping bag, authorities said.
"When they inspected the candies and they cut it into them, a white powdery substance was exposed, which tested positive for cocaine," Harty said.
The cocaine has a street value of more than $100,000, authorities said.
"Drug traffickers are always trying novel ways to conceal their contraband," said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles.
"But cocaine camouflaged as Easter candy is one of the more unusual tactics we've come across. Obviously two days before Christmas, this defendant didn't expect his trip would end with federal officers conducting an Easter egg hunt," he said in a statement.
Galtes told the officers that the eggs were for his two children, federal authorities said.
"This smuggling attempt and interception should give notice to all persons involved in this illicit trade to think twice when attempting to smuggle cocaine or other prohibited drugs/items into LAX," Carlos Martel, acting director of Los Angeles field operations for Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.
Homeland Security investigators are continuing to look into the smuggling operation, officials said. Source : FOX11-News
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I recommend stuffing little bags of cocaine in womens' vaginas works in like a prison system. Or mixing the cocaine with water and fill empty milk containers. :y:
Its Genius and not really Easter Eggs On XMAS Time your bound to get caught maybe in Easter but XMAS people need to use the resources around them more for this
that guy is a genious..if thats how you spell it? lol
Genius :y:
Originally posted by koolkarpet
I recommend stuffing little bags of cocaine in womens' vaginas works in like a prison system. Or mixing the cocaine with water and fill empty milk containers. :y:
but if you mixed the cocaine with water, you would have a hard time getting it back to powder form.