Woman Charged with Bringing More Than 5 Kilo of Cocaine on Flight from Puerto Rico to Connecticut

by Kristen Harrison-Oneal

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, today announced that HECMARIELIZ CRUZ-ACEVEDO, 22, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

As alleged in court documents, on May 9, 2021, HSI received information from U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors at San Juan International Airport that Cruz-Acevedo had boarded a flight to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, with a final destination of Bradley International Airport, and had checked a piece of luggage that contained five rectangular-shaped objects consistent with narcotics packages.  After the flight landed at Bradley Airport, a Connecticut State Police canine detected the presence of narcotics in the checked bag.  Investigators stopped Cruz-Acevedo when she retrieved the bag at baggage claim.  A search of the bag revealed five individual parcels, each containing slightly more than one kilogram of cocaine, located between articles of clothing.

Cruz-Acevedo, who has been detained since her arrest on May 9.  She appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was released on a $100,000 bond.

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The charge of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.


Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.

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