Four Flight Attendants Plead Guilty to Smuggling Drug Money to the Dominican Republic

Four flight attendants have admitted to using their special airport privileges to smuggle large amounts of cash, proceeds from narcotics trafficking, from the United States to the Dominican Republic. Federal prosecutors revealed that the four, Sarah Valerio Pujols, 42; Charlie Hernandez, 42; Emmanuel Torres, 35; and Jarol Fabio, all from New York and New Jersey, have pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.

The attendants, who worked for international airlines flying between New York and the Dominican Republic, exploited their “Known Crewmember” status. This status, granted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), allowed them to bypass standard security screenings and use a special line with less scrutiny. Authorities say they used this privilege to move drug money undetected.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the smuggling operation was linked to Dominican drug lords, who preferred receiving cash from U.S. drug sales rather than through banks or digital transactions. Since 2018, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) have been investigating narcotics trafficking, with a focus on fentanyl.

Cooperating Informant Helps Uncover the Scheme

The breakthrough in the case came in October 2021, when a suspect was arrested on money laundering charges for smuggling drug proceeds from New York to the Dominican Republic. This person, who later cooperated with investigators, revealed their connection to Pujols and Hernandez. Court documents show the informant claimed that between 2014 and 2019, Pujols smuggled about $1.5 million, while Hernandez moved approximately $2.5 million for drug traffickers.

In December 2019, the informant handed over $121,215 to Hernandez during a meeting in the Bronx. Hernandez kept $60,000 for himself and passed $61,215 to Pujols. However, when Pujols attempted to leave the country with the cash, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stopped her at the airport and found the money hidden in her purse. Hernandez did not deliver his portion of the cash, and the informant said they did not know what happened to it.

The informant also implicated Torres and Fabio, who began working with them in 2015. Torres and Fabio were each supplied with $1.5 million in drug money to deliver to the Dominican Republic over the years. In June 2022, the informant handed $60,000 to Torres in Brooklyn, who successfully smuggled the cash to a person working undercover with law enforcement in the Dominican Republic. The same tactic was repeated nearly a year later with Fabio, who also transported $60,000 to the Dominican Republic.

Criminal Charges and Sentencing

Federal authorities charged the four flight attendants based on the informant’s cooperation and recorded transactions. Torres and Fabio face one count each of operating an unlicensed money transmission business and entering an airport while violating security requirements. Hernandez and Pujols face additional charges, with Hernandez accused of two counts of unlicensed money transmission and Pujols charged with bulk cash smuggling.

Sentencing dates for Pujols, Hernandez, and Fabio are set for mid-November, while Torres will be sentenced on January 6, 2025. If convicted, they could face significant prison time for their roles in the money laundering scheme.