by New York, NY – A US embassy security officer in the Dominican Republic has been indicted for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into New York using duty-free goods as cover, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Jairo Eliezer Arias Caceres, 35, abused his role as a trusted government employee to carry out an international drug trafficking operation.
Arias Caceres was extradited to New York this week, where he now faces serious federal charges.
Cocaine Hidden in Johnny Walker, Cigarettes, and Choco Pies
Investigators say Arias Caceres ran the elaborate operation from April to December 2023, stashing bricks of cocaine into duty-free items purchased at the Santo Domingo Airport, including Johnny Walker Gold Reserve boxes, Marlboro cigarette cartons, and Choco Pie snack containers.
Photos from the investigation revealed blocks of cocaine tightly wrapped and concealed inside these everyday goods. Couriers allegedly transported the disguised packages into New York airports, bypassing traditional customs scrutiny due to the items’ appearance as regular duty-free purchases.
As noted in the New York Post’s coverage, Arias Caceres also played a central role in coordinating and financing the travel of couriers, many of whom were supplied with the drugs by his former colleagues at the Dominican Republic’s airport, where he had worked as a security guard before joining the embassy in 2018.
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Federal Authorities Condemn “Breach of National Trust”
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton emphasized the betrayal of public trust in a sharply worded statement:
“While Arias Caceres was supposed to be protecting our diplomats and embassy staff from danger, he was allegedly busy endangering New Yorkers by pumping illegal drugs into our community.”
Clayton added that abusing a position of national trust to traffic dangerous narcotics “shocks the sensibilities” of both New Yorkers and federal authorities. The indictment is the result of a multi-agency investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in collaboration with Customs and Border Protection and Dominican Republic authorities.
Potential Sentence and Legal Consequences
If convicted, Arias Caceres faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The charges reflect the seriousness of international narcotics trafficking, especially when involving someone embedded within a US diplomatic security operation.
Michael McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge at HSI Newark, praised the outcome:
“This investigation successfully dismantled a sophisticated trafficking network responsible for moving dangerous narcotics from the Dominican Republic into the United States.”
He reaffirmed that HSI is committed to disrupting transnational criminal organizations that threaten public safety by trafficking drugs across borders.
A Sophisticated Smuggling Network
Arias Caceres’s position within the US Embassy allegedly gave him access and influence, which he used to facilitate drug trafficking with insider knowledge of airport protocols and courier logistics. The scheme relied on trusted couriers, careful concealment, and cooperation with airport insiders, making it particularly difficult to detect without inter-agency coordination.
Officials say the operation’s unraveling serves as a warning that no one is above the law, especially when the abuse of power endangers lives and communities.
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