A man traveling through John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens was arrested after officers found him carrying a handgun in his bag, as well as $300,000 worth of cocaine hidden in his carry-on, officials said.
Elijah Davis, a U.S. citizen, was arriving from Montego Bay, Jamaica on May 21 when he was stopped by Customs and Border Protection officers, the agency said. While examining Davis, a handgun along with 40 rounds of .9-mm bullets were found in a hard case box.
As the search continued, CBP officers determined that Davis' carry-on luggage felt unusually heavy, so an x-ray was performed on the bag, the agency said. Packages were discovered within the panels of the bag, which were found to contain about 10 pounds of cocaine — worth about $300,000, according to Customs and Border Protection.
"This seizure demonstrates the vigilance and dedication demonstrated daily by CBP officers at our port of entries while keeping these dangerous narcotics off the streets of our communities," said Marty Raybon, the acting director of the agency's New York office.
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Davis faces federal narcotics smuggling charges, and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Attorney information for Davis was not immediately made available.
