Union City Man Arrested for Concealing 30lbs of Cocaine at Maryland Airport

Union City resident Gabriel Ruiz, 34, was arrested and is set to face narcotics importation and possession charges after officers discovered over 30 pounds of cocaine in the seat and back cushions of his electric wheelchair on June 21st.

In a report from NBC New York, Ruiz was arriving from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic when officers detected the narcotics after his electric wheelchair was x-rayed. Maryland Transportation Authority officers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers report that the 30 pounds of cocaine found had an estimated value of one million dollars.

Thomas Heffernan, Acting Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Baltimore, says that the concealing of the cocaine was “unusual” but assures that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection works diligently to stop illicit drug transportation by saying:

“Transnational criminal organizations work very hard to conceal their illicit drugs, but this cocaine seizure proves once again that Customs and Border Protection officers are up to the task of protecting our communities by finding the drug gangs’ creatively concealed contraband.”

Thomas Heffernan, Acting Area Port Director for Cbp’s Area Port of Baltimore