A woman has been charged with smuggling narcotics after attempting to bring 10 pounds of cocaine, stashed inside containers of candy, into the United States, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
Petra Medarda, a citizen of Mexico, landed at Kennedy Airport on April 18, on a flight from Mexico City. When her luggage was going through X-ray examination, authorities said, examiners noticed a strange shape inside the candy containers.
The substance tested positive for cocaine. Authorities said Medarda had eight bricks of the drug, with an estimated street value of $175,000.
Medarda was arrested and turned over to the NYPD. She will be prosecuted in Queens County District Court.
