Woman Caught with $116,000 of Cocaine Disguised as 'Natural Medicine' at Dulles Airport

U.S. Customs officials seized more than 2 pounds of cocaine from a Guatemalan woman at Dulles International Airport Friday, Nov. 7.

The cocaine, valued at more than $116,000, was hidden inside 20 bottles of capsules marked as various natural medicines. The woman arrived on a flight from El Salvador with her minor daughter and requested entry as a business courier, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office.

As a courier, the woman was referred to a routine secondary examination to have her packages inspected. A CBP officer opened one of the bottles and noticed that one of the capsules was deformed and had a white, powdery substance caked on the outside. A field-test determined the substance to be cocaine.

“Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport have proven to be exceptionally skilled at discovering unique concealment methods, and this seizure is illustrative of that skill,” said Wayne Biondi, CBP Port Director for the Port of Washington. “CBP officers remain ever vigilant at intercepting illicit narcotics before they can hurt our families and communities.”

After CBP officers completed her immigration processing, the woman returned home with her daughter the same day. She is barred from returning to the U.S. for a minimum of five years.

Image: Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection