JFK Customs Officer Accused Of Helping Couple Smuggle Cocaine

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A customs agent at John F. Kennedy International Airport is accused of helping a couple sneak a suitcase full of cocaine through Terminal 4.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Fernando Marte was arrested last week.

Surveillance video shows the couple greet Marte like a friend they'd known for years, with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek, WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported. 

From there, he allegedly escorted them to the baggage claim and got the woman through a secondary checkpoint. But then came a snag.

Marte's colleagues became suspicious after realizing the man had also been traveling with her. So she was called back.

She opened her suitcase and out came 45 bricks of cocaine wrapped in duct tape.

Authorities allege this was not the first time Marte's helped mules through customs at JFK, and an informant described a similar episode last year that apparently went undetected, Silverman reported.

A statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said its grateful to law enforcement for "helping to preserve the honor and integrity of our agency."

(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)