Two Men Arrested For Shipping $1M Worth Of Heroin To JFK

QUEENS, NY — Two men have been charged with drug possession and conspiracy after attempting to smuggle 22 pounds of heroin from Puerto Rico to New York in a dog crate, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced on Monday.

According to the DA, Bronx resident Samuel Seabrooks, 35, and Putnam County resident Carlos Betancourt-Morales, 27, met up on Friday evening to receive the shipment of drugs arriving at JFK Airport in a dog crate containing a Labrador. The two arrived at the American Airlines Priority Parcel Services separately, and Betancourt-Morales went into the cargo building to sign a delivery receipt on an incoming 86-pound dog crate from Puerto Rico, the DA said. The man was stopped by police as he pushed the cart out of the building.

Police recovered 10 packages of heroin Saturday during an authorized search of the crate. The packages contained 22 pounds of heroin with an estimated street value of $1 million.

“This amount of heroin, when distributed at the street level, would jeopardize numerous lives and undoubtedly contribute to other crime," said Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

Both defendants were arraigned Sunday on charges of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree conspiracy. The bail was set at $250,000 each, and the defendants are due back in court on April 10. They face up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.

"Statistics show that, unfortunately, heroin has made a comeback in New York City and its surrounding suburbs, with fatal overdoses outpacing homicides. Drug dealers should be forewarned – New York City is not the place to import or sell illegal narcotics," said Brown. "My office is committed to working closely with the NYPD and our other law enforcement colleagues in stopping this epidemic and to prosecute all those involved in the trafficking, distribution and selling of illegal drugs."

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