NEW YORK — A Jamaican man is facing federal narcotics smuggling charges after allegedly trying to bring a pound of cocaine tucked in his underwear into the United States.
Officers conducted a physical search of Romario Lewis after they said they noticed him displaying “numerous signs of nervousness” during bag inspection after arriving at New York’s Kennedy Airport on April 16, according to a release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
That search yielded two packages in the subject’s groin area — both containing a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine.
The estimated value of the cocaine is $19,000, according to the release, citing statistics from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Lewis was placed under arrest and then turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
He will be prosecuted by the U.S. attorney’s office in the U.S. Eastern District Court of New York.