Shellon Nikita Beckles who was held at the JFK Airport in New York after disembarking a CAL flight on November 22, passed a total of 40 pellets containing 513.2 grammes of cocaine, according to US court documents.
She has since been placed on bail of US$150,000 with an order that her passport be surrendered. Her travel within the United States has also been restricted.
The court documents said that Beckles was selected for a border enforcement examination upon arriving in New York.
Thomas Wilbert, Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations in his affidavit said that a baggage examination yielded negative results. Wilbert said that the defendant appeared nervous in response to questioning.
A pat-down search was requested and approved and this also yielded negative results.
“Upon further questioning, the defendant admitted to swallowing narcotics.
The defendant read a standard x-ray consent form, indicated that she understood it, and signed it.
She was then transported to the medical facility at JFK”, the agent said.
He further testified that an x-ray of the defendant’s intestinal tract was positive for foreign bodies and she passed around 11 pellets, one of which field-tested positive for cocaine. Beckles was then arrested and detained at the JFK medical facility until she passed all of the pellets.
