Another traveler from Dominican Republic held with drugs at JFK

NEW YORK, Mar. 19, CMC –US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport have arrested another national from the Dominican Republic who attempted to transport cocaine into the country.
According to the CBP, Mayobanex Ruiz Gomez arrived on a flight from Santo Domingo last Thursday and when he was observed exhibiting several signs of nervousness, he was subsequently taken to a private search room, where a physical search was carried out.
During the search, CBP said the officers discovered packages containing white powder, taped to his legs – the powder tested positive for cocaine.
CBP said about 5lbs of cocaine was seized, with an estimated street value of more than US $83,000.
Gomez was arrested and turned him over to US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
He now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office in the US Eastern District Court of New York.
This is the second arrest of a national from the Dominican Republic in less than a week – last week, CBP arrested Juan Carlos Galan Luperon who landed at JFK with 10 lbs. of cocaine, strapped to his legs.