Puerto Rico Woman Admits Trafficking Cocaine on Flight to Connecticut

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HECMARIELIZ CRUZ-ACEVEDO, 24, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a cocaine trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 9, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors at San Juan International Airport that Cruz-Acevedo had boarded a flight to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, with a final destination of Bradley International Airport, and had checked a piece of luggage that contained five rectangular-shaped objects consistent with narcotics packages.  After the flight landed at Bradley Airport, a Connecticut State Police canine detected the presence of narcotics in the checked bag.  Investigators stopped Cruz-Acevedo when she retrieved the bag at baggage claim.  She was arrested after a search of the bag revealed five individual parcels, each containing slightly more than one kilogram of cocaine, located between articles of clothing.

Cruz-Acevedo pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Cruz-Acevedo is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.