Earlier this month, the U.S. allegedly intended to distribute cocaine.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, Shellian Cherin Allen arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on February 3 from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Allen, a Jamaican citizen, was employed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force for the past 18 years.
Upon inspection by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Allen was reportedly found carrying a package of cocaine inside her vagina as well as inside each of her bra cups.
According to the statement, "Alan also had 90 pellets of packaged cocaine inside his stomach, which he swallowed." “CBP officers took Allen to a local hospital, where they dispensed 90 pellets. In total, upon entering the United States, Allen had about 1,350 grams of cocaine on or inside her body: about 234 in her vagina, inside her About 174 grams of bra, and about 942 grams inside her belly."
The woman was charged by grand jury and charged with "importing five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine and possessing with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine."
If convicted, the release said, Allen faces up to 40 years in prison on each count.
In June, NBC 7 in San Diego reported that Mexican drug cartels were recruiting US citizens as drug mules on an unprecedented scale.
The outlet reported that officials say the lift was a direct result of travel restrictions that allowed Mexicans to leave the U.S. I was barred from crossing the border.
According to NBC 7, CBP agents seized more than 92,000 pounds of drugs from cars crossing the Mexican border into the US between October 2020 and May. In the vast majority of cases, a US citizen was behind the wheel.
According to CBP data, a total of 1,059,249 pounds of drugs were seized in 2020, up from £901,315 in 2019. According to the department, a total of 913,326 pounds of drugs were seized in 2021.
For cocaine alone, 97,368 pounds of the substance were seized in 2021, up from 58,002 in 2020.
The release makes clear that the indictment covers "mere charges" and that Allen "will be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."