A former U.S. Embassy security officer is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he masterminded a cocaine smuggling operation using Marlboro cigarette cartons and Choco Pie snack boxes to sneak the drugs into the United States.
According to an indictment unsealed Wednesday, 35-year-old Jairo Eliezer Arias Caceres, who once worked at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, allegedly trafficked cocaine through multiple New York-area airports between April and December 2023.
Federal prosecutors claim Arias Caceres organized a high-level international drug network, recruiting couriers and funding their travel between the Dominican Republic and the U.S. to deliver the narcotics.
Before joining the embassy, court records reveal that Arias Caceres spent seven years as a security officer at Santo Domingo’s airport… a position prosecutors believe gave him the insider knowledge to smuggle drugs without detection.
“Instead of protecting diplomats and embassy staff from harm, Arias Caceres allegedly put New Yorkers in danger by funneling dangerous drugs into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
The Department of Justice says the investigation is ongoing and more arrests could follow.
