Attempted Smuggler Arrested

[Retired LEO]

Carnival Liberty out of Port Canaveral

 

You can't fix stupid

 

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/agents-arrest-man-they-said-had-several-pounds-coc/ngXbW/

[dacsmom]

At least he got to cruise first :). I often cruise solo and never thought it would be a red flag. I sometimes wonder what people are thinking, with the number of security and dogs around the port how did he think this was a good idea?

[Starry Eyes]

Foolish, foolish man.

 

Interesting comment about solo being a red flag. I have not yet cruised solo, but I expect I will someday. I hope they don't flag me if I am solo; they'd be wasting their time. Maybe a mature female solo cruiser would be seen through a different lens than this guy.

 

OTOH, one might think smugglers would have quickly learned to travel in pairs if that helped them slip through easier.

[FLACRUISER99]

Carnival Liberty out of Port Canaveral

 

You can't fix stupid

 

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/agents-arrest-man-they-said-had-several-pounds-coc/ngXbW/

Intersting way to try and pay for your cruise.

[UCF_Knight]

11 pounds of cocaine?

I don't know if a cruise ship is really the best method to try to smuggle that into the country.

[Starry Eyes]

Intersting way to try and pay for your cruise.

If that's how they try to pay for a cruise, one wonders what they might try to cover bail :eek:

[Ocean Boy]

I find it a bit interesting that there is so much controversy about allowing the TSA to profile passengers for screenings in airports but ICE can profile solo cruisers? I really hope there were other reasons that triggered the search.

[wowprincess]

I find it a bit interesting that there is so much controversy about allowing the TSA to profile passengers for screenings in airports but ICE can profile solo cruisers? I really hope there were other reasons that triggered the search.

 

I agree. Something he did somewhere must have sent off a red flag to have officers ready to go when they arrived back. Being a solo traveler can't be the only thing here.

[novicetraveller]

Drugs today... tomorrow Rum Runners? :eek:

[WetToes]

The article mentions a text. Sounds like he may have done this before.

[Sandy Sails]

Very interesting about the traveling solo as a red flag. I met a guy traveling solo once, with 2 large suitcases. One was for clothes and the other was for his scuba gear.

When we got off the ship and went through customs, he was pulled aside, taken to a private room, and had all of his luggage searched, while being thoroughly questioned about why he was traveling alone, what he did for a living, etc. Such a sweet guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. Now I understand why they did that. I'll have to tell him this when I get home - I ended up marrying him a year later. ;)

[DaytonCruiser]

The article mentions a text. Sounds like he may have done this before.

 

He has probably done it multiple times. Usually smugglers are rarely caught the first time. He probably started off bringing smaller amounts.

[WetToes]

Greed it'll get you every time.

[golfadj]

Very interesting about the traveling solo as a red flag. I met a guy traveling solo once, with 2 large suitcases. One was for clothes and the other was for his scuba gear.

When we got off the ship and went through customs, he was pulled aside, taken to a private room, and had all of his luggage searched, while being thoroughly questioned about why he was traveling alone, what he did for a living, etc. Such a sweet guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. Now I understand why they did that. I'll have to tell him this when I get home - I ended up marrying him a year later. ;)

 

nice story with a happy ending.

[golfadj]

I got caught trying to smuggle a box of wine in our luggage and all i got was a letter.

[Ocean Boy]

Very interesting about the traveling solo as a red flag. I met a guy traveling solo once, with 2 large suitcases. One was for clothes and the other was for his scuba gear.

When we got off the ship and went through customs, he was pulled aside, taken to a private room, and had all of his luggage searched, while being thoroughly questioned about why he was traveling alone, what he did for a living, etc. Such a sweet guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. Now I understand why they did that. I'll have to tell him this when I get home - I ended up marrying him a year later. ;)

 

So you married a smuggler?:eek:;):D:D:D

[092306]

Very interesting about the traveling solo as a red flag. I met a guy traveling solo once, with 2 large suitcases. One was for clothes and the other was for his scuba gear.

When we got off the ship and went through customs, he was pulled aside, taken to a private room, and had all of his luggage searched, while being thoroughly questioned about why he was traveling alone, what he did for a living, etc. Such a sweet guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. Now I understand why they did that. I'll have to tell him this when I get home - I ended up marrying him a year later. ;)

 

What a great "how we met" story!

[LCTXcruiser]

Carnival Liberty out of Port Canaveral

 

You can't fix stupid

 

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/agents-arrest-man-they-said-had-several-pounds-coc/ngXbW/

 

 

Couldn't have said it any better myself :rolleyes:

[sjcruiser]

WOW, glad them caught the idiot. He has probably been doing it for awhile in smaller amounts to possibly lead up to a larger load. Maybe one time solo wasn't a red flag, and he may done it more than once before they realized that he may be a trafficker or mule.

[Vitality08]

Although traveling solo can be a red flag, I'm sure that's not the real reason they searched his room. I'm sure his name was flagged for previous suspicious boarder crossings and this trip just added more suspicion and reasons.

 

Of course they tell the media being solo is the reason because they don't want to say "We have sophisticated data tracking software that monitors...."

 

I will say, I was once directed to secondary screening at MIA while traveling alone from Costa Rica. I fit the profile of a drug smuggler evidently. I satisfactorily answered all of the questions to the point they didn't even search my bags. The funniest thing tho is I actually work in Law Enforcement at an International Airport.

[Illyria]

I find it a bit interesting that there is so much controversy about allowing the TSA to profile passengers for screenings in airports but ICE can profile solo cruisers?

Probably no more than the extra scrutiny you may get (whether noticeable or behind the scenes) if you buy a one-way airline ticket. There must have been more to the investigation.

[cruisebie]

Based on the date of the story, this must have been the Liberty cruise I just returned from. I agree that something other than being a solo traveler must have triggered the search. There were probably lots of solo cruisers on this cruise since it was one of the "no single supplement" cruises (I was one). Now I know why I got a little extra scrutiny from the customs agent. Nothing major, just a few additional questions, but I wondered about it at the time.

 

 

 

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[Morgsmom]

Very interesting about the traveling solo as a red flag. I met a guy traveling solo once, with 2 large suitcases. One was for clothes and the other was for his scuba gear.

 

When we got off the ship and went through customs, he was pulled aside, taken to a private room, and had all of his luggage searched, while being thoroughly questioned about why he was traveling alone, what he did for a living, etc. Such a sweet guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. Now I understand why they did that. I'll have to tell him this when I get home - I ended up marrying him a year later. ;)

 

OMG - I just got goosebumps!!!! Such a great story! I'm traveling solo for the first time in a couple of weeks.. hopefully they don't put me through anything weird! Fortunately I'm a nice, widowed, empty nester with a kid who just started college! I promise I won't be smuggling anything back from the islands!!!!

[dcikon2]

I witnessed someone being arrested in Ochoa Rio before re-boarding the ship. He was arrested by Jamaican authorities. My partner was searched an extra time in Costa Rica. He had lots of bags of Costa Rican coffee. There is a thorough check by security on the gangway right before you board the plane. I have found the security in San Juan to be quite extensive when debarking. There are always several drug dogs and officers.

[beachbum53]

I find it a bit interesting that there is so much controversy about allowing the TSA to profile passengers for screenings in airports but ICE can profile solo cruisers? I really hope there were other reasons that triggered the search.

 

When I was in the Army, stationed in Germany, a couple of the guys I was stationed with told me that, when crossing the border from one country to another, you're more likely to be stopped at the border and searched if you're traveling single, rather than if you're traveling with your spouse. While I have no doubt that there are couples who sometimes try to smuggle things in and out of foreign countries, I'm guessing that the probabilities are higher with single travelers, so Customs and DEA agents tend to go with the odds.