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Press Release

New York Man Indicted For Smuggling Cocaine At Airport

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Edward Adames-Tavares (30, New York) with smuggling cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.         

According to court documents, on March 6, 2015, Adames-Tavares flew from the Dominican Republic to the Orlando International Airport. Upon going through U.S. Customs inspection, he was selected for a secondary inspection of his luggage. A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer found 11 wooden hangers inside Adames-Tavares’ checked luggage. The officer ran the hangers through an x-ray machine, which revealed that something was inside the hangers. Upon further inspection, the officer found a white powdery substance wrapped in plastic. The substance tested positive for cocaine. The remaining hangers were opened and each contained a white powder wrapped in plastic.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless,  and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

Updated April 2, 2015

Topic
Drug Trafficking