Jessica Guinyard, age 20, and De Anne Browne, age 21, both U.S. citizens, were arrested at Newark Airport in connection with the smuggling attempt.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested two women who attempted to smuggle more than 12 pounds of cocaine concealed in two false sided bags. Jessica Guinyard, age 20, and De Anne Browne, age 21, both U.S. citizens, were arrested at Newark Airport in connection with the smuggling attempt.On Wednesday afternoon, CBP officers selected Guinyard for a routine baggage inspection when she arrived on a flight from San Jose, Costa Rica. Guinyard presented one Pullman style bag for inspection. During her interview, Guinyard indicated that she was traveling with Browne. Upon examination of her bag, CBP officers noticed that the inside walls of the bag felt unusually thick and heavy. A probe of the inside walls revealed a white powdery substance which field tested positive for cocaine. Inspection of Browne’s bag also yielded false sides containing cocaine.
“CBP is committed to interdicting narcotics at our ports of entry and identifying the perpetrators who facilitate such brazen attempts to smuggle narcotics into the U.S.,” said Robert E. Perez, director of Field Operations for CBP in New York.
More than 12 pounds of cocaine with a street value of more than a half million dollars was seized and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation. “We will continue working together with our Department of Homeland Security partners to identify and dismantle drug trafficking organizations to keep illegal drugs from being distributed throughout our communities,” said Matthew J. Etre, acting special agent in charge of ICE’s Office of Investigations in Newark.