| March 20, 2017 at 6:00 PM
March 20 (UPI) -- Customs officers at a New York airport found about 5 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a man's pants mere days after foiling a remarkably similar smuggling attempt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Dominican Republic citizen Mayobanex Ruiz Gomez arrived March 16 at John F. Kennedy International Airport on a flight from Santo Domingo.
Gomez was taken to a private search room when officers noticed him acting nervous during a search of his suitcase. He was found to be wearing a pair of tight black pants under his jeans that concealed cocaine packages taped to his legs.
Officials said Gomez was carrying about 5 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $83,000.
'This latest seizure demonstrates our CBP officers being ever vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of these illicit drugs," said Leon Hayward, acting director of CBP's New York Field Operations.
Gomez was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations to face drug smuggling charges.
The discovery came less than two weeks after officers at the same airport arrested a U.S. man who was found to be using similar methods to conceal 10 pounds of cocaine inside his pants after arriving from Santo Domingo.
