New York, United States. – The Dominican mule Adderly Santos Familia, who was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in mid-December 2022 for bringing cocaine in Santa Claus plush toys, luggage liners, and neck pillows, was released last week with a $100,000 bail in the Eastern District Federal Court in Brooklyn, faces life imprisonment and fines of up to $10 million, prosecutors said.
The woman, who landed at JFK on a flight from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, was observed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) federal agents at the terminal with suspicious behavior, so she was subjected to a second inspection in which the agents found the cocaine.
When asked about the drug in the neck pillows used to maintain stability in plane seats, she said that the props had been given to her by her children.
The United States Department of Homeland Security said on Friday that Santos Familia’s arrest, a resident of Queens, took place on December 14, 2022.
She told authorities that she had been visiting her family in the Dominican Republic.
The federal agents found almost nine kilograms of cocaine in her belongings.
CBP sent local media photographs of the Santa Claus dolls after they were stripped by federal agents at the airport.
The amount of cocaine seized has a street value of between $260,000 and $1 million dollars.
Santos Familia is charged with importing cocaine and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it.
Her lawyer, Leticia Olivera, has not referred to her client’s situation so far.
The defendant will remain free on bail until the judicial process is defined, which could include a settlement with prosecutors or going to trial.
