Jamaican Police Officer Charged with Smuggling Cocaine from Jamaica to South Florida Inside Her Body

Miami, Florida – A South Florida grand jury has indicted a veteran police officer from Jamaica with importing cocaine into the United States with the intent to distribute it here.

The indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint affidavit allege the following: On February 3, 42-year-old Shelian Cherine Allen, a Jamaican citizen, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica.  An inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that Allen had a package of cocaine inside her vagina and a package of cocaine inside each of her bra cups.  Allen also had 90 pellets of packaged cocaine inside her stomach, which she had swallowed.  CBP officers took Allen to a local hospital, where she expelled the 90 pellets.  In total, Allen had approximately 1,350 grams of cocaine on or inside her body when she entered the United States: about 234 in her vagina, about 174 grams in her bra, and about 942 grams inside her stomach.

At the time of her arrest, Allen was a law enforcement officer employed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force for the last 18 years.

The indictment charges Allen with two counts: importation of five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine.  If convicted, she faces up to 40 years in prison on each count.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony Salisbury, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Filed Office, and Vernon T. Foret, Director of Field Operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

HSI Miami and CBP Miami investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Shockley is prosecuting it.

An indictment merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-60024.

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