Flight attendant arrested in drug money operation at JFK airport

Four flight attendants were arrested Tuesday after an investigation revealed a years-long operation to smuggle $8 million in drug money from New York to the Dominican Republic.

The suspects were employed by various airlines that operated multiple flights from John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in Queens to the Dominican Republic. Thanks to their status as flight attendants, the group was able to use the special security lane when entering Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. A witness told authorities they organized and ran money laundering and drug sales with flight attendants like the four arrested Tuesday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.

To get their money to the Dominican Republic, the witness gave the flight attendants a small percentage of the money before they left New York. To catch the flight attendants in action, the witness agreed to participate in numerous sting operations that paid out money to the suspects, who were then transferred to the Dominican Republic and handed over to another cooperating witness, the release said .

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The cooperating witness ran a “significant money laundering organization” before his arrest in 2021, the press release said.

“As alleged, the defendants knowingly smuggled large amounts of illicit money in connection with the sale of narcotics, including fentanyl, and exploited airport security checkpoints by exploiting their trusted positions as flight attendants,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge ). Prosecution, Ivan Arvelo said in a statement.