Four New York-based flight attendants admitted to smuggling drug money to the Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic.
Sarah Valerio Pujols, Charlie Hernandez, Emmanuel Torres and Jarol Fabio pleaded guilty to one count of operation of an unlicensed money transmission business, according to federal prosecutors.
"These four flight attendants abused their privileges as flight attendants to move money for drug traffickers," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.
"My office is committed to staunching the illicit flow of narcotics proceeds in all of its forms. These guilty pleas show that the sky is not the limit when it comes to law enforcement's reach."
Prosecutors say the flight attendants worked for different international airlines and had elevated TSA security clearance that allowed them to pass through a less-scrutinized security screening at airports.
Around October 2021, prosecutors alleged a cooperating witness operated a money laundering business that specialized in the movement of cash from New York City drug sales to the Dominican Republic.
The flight attendant were allegedly paid a fee to get the money past airport security and handed off to a person in the Dominican Republic.
The flight attendants were caught through a series of orchestrated sting operations, according to authorities.
They face up to five years in prison when they are sentenced.
