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Dog Used As Drug Mule: $1 Million In Heroin Found In Dog's Crate At JFK Airport
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 28, 2017
Modified Mar 28, 2017
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 28, 2017
Modified Mar 28, 2017
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A dog shipped to the United States from Puerto Rico was stopped at JFK Airport after authorities found 10 bricks of heroin worth $1 million inside its crate. Two men were arrested.
"It’s alleged that man’s best friend was used in an attempt to smuggle drugs into the city, but great police work led to the seizure of more than 10 kilograms of heroin concealed within a dog crate," said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Brown's office says that Samuel Seabrook, 35, of the Bronx, and Carlos Betancourt-Morales, 27, of Carmel in Putnam County, first met at an IHOP in the Bronx this past Friday, March 24th, at 6 p.m. and then headed to the American Airlines Priority Parcel Services at JFK Airport in separate cars. At 7 p.m., Betancourt-Morales allegedly went to Seabrook's car and chatted before going to the cargo building and taking a dog crate containing a Shepherd-mix dog.
While Betancourt-Morales was pushing the dog crate, police stopped him and, after obtaining a search warrant the next day, inspected the crate, where they "allegedly recovered ten packages containing heroin" from the crate's false bottom. "Each of the packages was allegedly in brick form, packaged in dark and clear plastic wrap, and was three to four inches in width and six to eight inches in length. The packages allegedly contained stamps with the Nike Swoosh and a fivepointed star."
Betancourt-Morales and Seabrook were charged with first-degree criminal possession of a
controlled substance and second-degree conspiracy, with bail set at $500,000 bond/$250,000 cash for each defendant.
The dog is now with the ASPCA. Chrissy Beckles, founder of a dog rescue group the Sato Project, was disturbed by the incident, especially since many dogs are rescued from Puerto Rico and flown to JFK. She told PIX 11:
"[Whoever put the drugs in a canine carrier] not only placed an innocent animal in great danger, but by associating rescuing with criminal activity, it undermines the incredibly hard work that The Sato Project and other organizations have put in to developing their rescue programs and to saving thousands of dogs’ lives. We hope that this terrible abuse of the good will and trust established by rescue organizations will not make it harder for us and other organizations to continue our lifesaving work of rescuing hundreds and thousands of dogs every year from a life of suffering and abuse on the streets and beaches of Puerto Rico, and finding them loving homes with families in the U.S."
Tagged
dog mule
drug mule
heroin
jfk airport
queens
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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