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Passenger Stopped At JFK For Posing As A Pilot

Barry Williams/Getty Images

Jason Chulack Reporting Intern
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A passenger arriving from Kingston, Jamaica, wearing a faux pilot’s uniform was stopped At John F. Kennedy International Airport by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

The passenger, Mario Hudson, is a Jamaican citizen who was dressed in a pilot’s uniform and claimed to be a “dead-heading crew member” — a crew member flying in a passenger seat who is not a part of the working crew, according to CBP.

During a baggage inspection, CBP officers found that Hudson had two phony Delta Airlines ID badges. Hudson was escorted to a private search room where his suspicious-looking luggage was inspected further. Officers found five pounds of cocaine worth $85,000.

Hudson was arrested for the import of a controlled substance and is facing federal narcotics smuggling charges.

“This seizure demonstrates the vigilance and dedication demonstrated daily by CBP officers at JFK, in keeping these prohibited and dangerous narcotics off the streets of our communities,” said Leon Hayward, who is the acting director of field operations in New York for CBP.