By Michael V. Cusenza
Federal officers recently caught a Pennsylvania woman allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine through John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Tuere Easter, 38, was detained by CBP agents on Jan. 20 after arriving on a flight from the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Officers scanned her bag after a drug-detection dog indicated that it possibly contained narcotics. The investigators then manually probed the luggage and discovered approximately 2 pounds of a white powdery substance that later tested positive for cocaine.
Easter was arrested and turned over to the Port Authority Police Department. According to court records, she was arraigned the following day on a criminal complaint charging her with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. The judge ordered Easter to undergo a psychiatric exam and remanded her without bail. Her next court date is Feb. 21.
The total weight of cocaine seized was approximately 2 lbs. with an approximate street value of more than $30,000.
