A group of American drug tr@ffickers, recruited by cartel operatives, was apprehended in the restrooms of Manchester Airport while waiting for luggage containing £8 million worth of c0caine to arrive.
As reported by Mail Online, the gang comprised five women and two men who were lured by dru_g tr@ffickers in the U.S. with promises of £3,000 to £4,000 for their trip to the UK to pick up 12 bags filled with the !ll!c!t substance. Inside those bags were over 300 kg of Class A dru_gs.
The operation was thwarted when a staff member at an X-ray machine became suspicious of the block-like shapes in the luggage, prompting border officials to intervene.
The tr@ffickers, all U.S. nationals, were strategically divided into teams and traveled to Manchester on separate flights, as revealed in court proceedings at Manchester Crown Court.
Brian Marealle, 32, and Laquesa Greer, 50, arrived from JFK Airport in New York.
Meanwhile, Charles Mass, 29, and his girlfriend Brianna Hunt, 22, touched down from Orlando. Yulibeth Gonzalez, 26, Leandra Royer, 26, and Chloe Sandoval, 24, traveled from Los Angeles via Dusseldorf.
Several members of the gang were @rrested immediately, while others were found at the nearby DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, which is adjacent to the airport.
Officers discovered Mass and Hunt in bed together when they executed their search.
One suitcase remains unaccounted for, while the rest contained c0caine worth approximately £700,000 wholesale.
In sentencing, the judge highlighted the sophisticated nature of the operation and noted how the ‘naïve and foolish’ members of the group were exploited by more experienced criminals who made the allure of ‘easy money’ seem irresistible.
Six individuals have received pr!son sentences for their involvement in this elaborate dru_g smuggling scheme, with another awaiting sentencing in a subsequent hearing.
The operation revolved around 12 suitcases, each equipped with name tags, containing between 22 and 24 blocks of c0caine. Members were assigned specific cases to retrieve, with the promise of substantial compensation and travel expenses.
The case’s main orchestrator, identified only as ‘Nate,’ reportedly collaborated with an associate named ‘Cruz’ to manage the logistics of the operation, including travel arrangements and communication through platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Royer played a key role in recruiting others, assuring friends of the venture’s safety and lucrative rewards. For instance, a previous attempt saw Mass travel from Barbados to Manchester without luggage, which resulted in a suitcase containing 20 kg of cocaine being abandoned at the airport.
As authorities continued to investigate, a staff member at Terminal 2 flagged a suspicious bag with unusual contents. The group had been instructed to wait in the restrooms before collecting their bags. Sandoval successfully picked up a case and transported it to Bury before returning to the Hilton, while Gonzalez was intercepted before she could leave the airport. Her last communication with ‘Nate’ read, “I got caught.”
Mass and Hunt abandoned their original plans and went to the Hilton, where they were later joined by Royer. Marealle and Greer were apprehended while waiting by the baggage carousel.
The gang’s members—Sandoval, Hunt, Royer, Greer, Mass, and Gonzalez—all pleaded guilty to various charges of attempting to import Class A drugs. Marealle opted for trial but was convicted by the jury. Sentences ranged from six and a half years for Hunt to 13 years for Marealle, with all facing automatic deportation to the U.S. upon their release. Sandoval’s sentencing is scheduled for February 14.
In passing sentence, Judge Tom Gilbart emphasized the significant and organized nature of the operation, stating, “Each of you was taken advantage of by more sophisticated criminals who exploited your naive beliefs that easy money was attainable,” underscoring the serious risks involved in their actions.
