Feds Bust Air Traveler Trying To Smuggle Liquid Cocaine Disguised As Rum

A man carrying what appeared to be four bottles of duty-free rum was actually seeking to smuggle liquid cocaine worth $310,000 into the U.S., federal agents allege.

Wilton Sinclair flew last month from Guyana to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He was traveling with two pieces of luggage and a pair of duty-free bags, each of which contained two large bottles of El Dorado rum (the “liquid gold of Guyana,” according to its manufacturer).

When Sinclair, 35, was screened at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoint, agents noticed that the four bottles (seen above) contained a “thick syrup-like substance inconsistent with rum,” according to a criminal complaint.

Officers opened the 1.75-liter bottles and detected an unusual chemical odor. Subsequent tests showed that all four bottles field-tested positive for cocaine. Investigators estimated that the bottles held 8.2 kilos of cocaine.

After waiving his Miranda rights, Sinclair, a Georgia resident who is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Guyana, told agents that he was to be paid $6000 to get the four bottles into the country.

Charged with a felony smuggling count, Sinclair (pictured above) is free on an unsecured $75,000 bond. According to his Facebook page, Sinclair has served in the U.S. Army.