A Central American man was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine-stuffed clams into the country, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said Thursday.
The drug-filled clams were discovered as the man, David Pocasangre Vaquiz, 26, of El Salvador, made his way through a routine inspection Saturday at the airport.
Officers found a black plastic bag in Mr. Vaquiz’s luggage containing 80 clams, 15 of which had been opened, stuffed with baggies of cocaine and glued shut, according to customs officials.
The total amount of cocaine seized from the clams was 5.36 ounces and has an approximate street value of about $10,000.
“Smugglers attempt all types of creative concealment methods to sneak their deadly poison into the United States, and this is one of the oddest we’ve seen,” said Christopher Hess, a director in the agency’s Port of Washington bureau. “This passenger took an enormous risk for only five ounces of cocaine, and he now faces very serious narcotics smuggling charges.”
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Andrea Noble is a crime and public safety reporter for The Washington Times. She can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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