Flight Attendants Accused of Illegally Transporting Money Linked to Drugs
The four flight attendants, all hailing from the New York metro area, were involved in smuggling cash to the Dominican Republic for fentanyl shipments into the United States. These flight attendants used their airport security clearance to facilitate this illegal activity on behalf of an international drug trafficking organization. Identified as Emmanuel Torres, Jarol Fabio, Charlie Hernandez, and Sarah Valerio Pujols, they were arrested on May 7 after a thorough four-year investigation by federal agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division.
Charged with operating an unlicensed money transmission business and violating security requirements at airports or aircraft areas, each of the flight attendants faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The complaint alleges that they collectively smuggled about $8 million in bulk cash as part of the drug trafficking operation and received an average of $60,000 per $1.5 million of smuggled money. The investigation, which also involved the New York Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, highlighted the flight attendants’ use of their “Known Crewmember” (KCM) status to evade detection while transporting the cash.
Using code words in their communications, the flight attendants were able to conceal their illegal activities, moving cash proceeds from narcotics sales between New York City and the Dominican Republic. These smuggling operations were exposed through an undercover sting operation where agents posed as members of the narcotics organization. The case is part of a broader trend of increased fentanyl drug trafficking connected to the Dominican Republic in the United States.
