ALOISIO BELLINO BORIS BOWLES CAMPOS DOCTOR ELIAS FERRARA FINN GARCIA JEAN KHZAM KIRKLAND LATTUCA MARINO NARR OFFICER REDPATH ROY TONY TRAVELER WONG

OFFICER
Alright, let’s go—let’s catch the plane and pull it in.

NARR
On this episode of To Catch a Smuggler…

CAMPOS
We have a flight that originates in South America.

FERRARA
If I see something I like, I’m gonna pull it.

CAMPOS
I think we got a very good chance of scoring here tonight. Under the cover of darkness.

ELIAS
There, that’s what I want to see. That means it’s cocaine.

KIRKLAND
Let’s go, big girl!

KHZAM
If there are narcotics, we’re gonna get it.

CAMPOS
I would say there’s definitely something in that bag.

BOWLES
Courier to kingpin. I’d rather be the courier if I were you.

FINN
You need to understand right now—you will not walk out of here with drugs in your stomach.





NARR
At New York’s JFK Airport, millions of dollars of contraband are seized every year.

NARR
And the agents and officers with the Department of Homeland Security work around the clock to stop this flood of illegal goods and drugs into the country.

BOWLES
Hold on. Stop.

WONG
I want to get to the bottom of this.

LATTUCA
It’s not the truth, stop saying to me you’re telling me the truth.









FINN
Passports out please.

FINN
We are Customs and Border Protection at JFK Airport.

FINN
Passports in your hands.

FINN
We operate from the second people step off the plane to the second they exit our area.

ELIAS
Okay, just follow us over there? Just to take a quick look at the bags.

FINN
After that, if you’ve made it through with drugs, you know, good luck to ya. But in between there, we’re looking for ya.

ELIAS
If you had to pick out a smuggler—you can’t put ’em in a box. Not even a terrorist. It can be anybody.

ELIAS
Avocado?

TRAVELER
Avocado.

ELIAS
Bueno.

ELIAS
You just never know who it’s gonna be.

FINN
We work all hours, 24 hours a day.

FINN
Just like the drug organizations don’t sleep sendin’ it in, we can’t sleep on our jobs. At nighttime, the planes just keep coming, and the people keep coming. And there’s only a handful of us, so we need to be strategic as to which ones we’re stopping, and which ones we’re talking to.

ELIAS
Pakistan’s in right now, Zurich, Abu Dhabi, Punta Cana, and Santo Domingo.

FINN
We’re roving around flights from countries that are known source countries for narcotics. Tonight, we got officers up at the gate.

ELIAS
Have your passports out please!

FINN
They look at everybody that comes off the flight. Check their passports, talk to them briefly. Just to get a feel—see who has a lot of trips to a source country.

BELLINO
Traveling by yourself?

TRAVELER
Yes.

BELLINO
Alright.

FINN
We got a guy coming from Guyana. He’s making his third trip in the last year. He was only there for a couple days. His other trips—this trip he’s been there for a week.

ELIAS 
Which one is it?

BELLINO
Is he the one with the stroller?

ELIAS
Yeah.
BELLINO
Right above that.

ELIAS
Guy’s wearing a baseball cap. Lime-green shirt, bluish-grey jacket. He’s got one checked luggage, and he should be picking it up on number seven.

FINN
We’re trained to look for people that are lying to us, or acting nervous. And no matter what you’re bringing in, if it’s illegal, you’re gonna have some signs of nervousness. We don’t know the person in front of us—these people could have mental issues, so the danger aspect is always there.

FINN
He’s moving around—either he’s adjusting something, or he’s just trying to keep himself occupied, and his mind off of what might be happening tonight.

ELIAS
It’s always an adrenaline rush. The anticipation is—it’s heightening right now.

FINN
Alright.

ELIAS
Yeah.



CAMPOS
We have a flight that originates in South America. The weather’s bad, but a little bit warmer now, because I’m excited, maybe we get something off this flight. 
There’s a good chance.

OFFICER
Alright, go in. 
Let’s go—catch the plane and pull it in. Correct, let’s go!

CAMPOS
We’re gonna be doing an X-ray, we have a mobile X-ray unit. Everything comes off piece by piece, and we’ll take it and put it right through the X-ray.

OFFICER
Um, gonna be doing the back end.

OFFICER
Oh, okay.

CAMPOS
And then it goes onto the carts, it gets followed in. That’s where K-9’s gonna do their search at. They’re gonna be sniffin’ around.

CAMPOS
The aircraft search flight mechanics, which are also officers, we’ll have them hit it bottom and top, and front to back, searching for narcotics.

OFFICER
Gonna take a peek!

CAMPOS
Gonna do what they do best.

OFFICER
Looks good.

CAMPOS
There’s always that thrill of the hunt, that we’re gonna catch something and stop the bad guys, and grab ’em right on the spot.

OFFICER
Where’s that last bag?

CAMPOS
Hopefully we’ll get the powder, the narcotics, the contraband.

FERRARA
If I see something I like, I’m gonna pull it.

CAMPOS
I think we’ve got a very good chance to score here tonight. Under the cover of darkness.

ALOISIO
Usually if the liquor bottles are taped up...they try to prevent the air from getting into the bottles. ’Cause if it’s liquid cocaine, it crystallizes.

OFFICER
Nothing. I see no color.

ALOISIO
Okay. Close it off.

CAMPOS
It’s not uncommon to find narcotics in these areas, like the landing gear.

CAMPOS
It’s also not uncommon, every couple o’ years, to find a body or a person that’s tried to get underneath and come into the country, and be crushed in the landing gear. Or they get in there without being crushed, but they wind up being found dead.

OFFICER
You get that one?

OFFICER
Thank you.

CAMPOS
We have upwards of three or four seizures in that powdered milk. Stuff it in there, glue it back shut, and put it in their bags.

FERRARA
That looks like formula to you, Sal?

ALOISIO
Yeah.

CAMPOS
Yeah, this flight’s done. 
Did they come up with anything for after midnight?

ALOISIO
After midnight, they’re gonna do the 832.

ALOISIO
Tonight, we have two more flights that we’re gonna do. Now we’re gonna continue on after midnight and do the other two flights.




REDPATH
When someone arrives at John F. Kennedy Airport, they have to go through Immigration—that’s their first step.

REDPATH
If there are any issues, they’ll need an officer like myself. Basically what we’re doing is intel gathering. It’s homeland security—terrorism. 

REDPATH
The reason why we’re here is to protect the borders of the United States, making sure that people are not coming in to harm us. 

REDPATH
At the end of the day, I don’t want to be the one to admit a terrorist into the United States.

OFFICER
Just follow me. Take all your stuff with you.

OFFICER
Okay, take a seat over here?

REDPATH
Where you coming from today?

TRAVELER
Bangladesh.

REDPATH
And what was the purpose of your trip to Bangladesh?

TRAVELER
A wedding reception.

REDPATH
And who got married?

TRAVELER
It was just a ceremony that...

REDPATH
You? For you?

TRAVELER
It was a ceremony, yeah.

REDPATH
Okay.

REDPATH
While you were in Bangladesh, did anything happen out of the ordinary for you?

TRAVELER
Um, my parents were supposed to come, but they couldn’t come, and it was very embarrassing.

REDPATH
Okay.

TRAVELER
So um, I went to the embassy over there, and basically I made a false report.

REDPATH
What was the false report about?

TRAVELER
That my parents went to Pakistan, okay, and they got kidnapped over there. 

TRAVELER
And one thing led to another...

REDPATH
Okay, hold on a second, hold that thought.

REDPATH
Okay, so you went into the U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh, reported that your parents—because they never showed up for your wedding ceremony—were kidnapped after they went to Pakistan. Okay. And you made up this whole story because…?

TRAVELER
Because they weren’t going to be there, and I was embarrassed. 

TRAVELER
So I spoke to...

REDPATH
So this was to cover—what? This was to cover your embarrassment with your wife, with your family?

TRAVELER
Their family, yeah.

REDPATH
Where were they when you filed this report?

TRAVELER
They were in America. 

REDPATH
You knew—you knew they were here?

TRAVELER
Yeah, I knew that. Yeah, I knew that.

REDPATH
But what would give you the idea to go in and file a false report on your parents being kidnapped in Pakistan while they’re home safe and sound in the United States?

TRAVELER
Right.

REDPATH
I mean, that’s a huge deal. You’re discussing at the U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh—you’re telling them that U.S. citizens are possibly kidnapped in Pakistan. Knowing the kind of relationship that’s going on right now, I mean, where did you think this was gonna go? This was gonna become something big. This is something that’s very...

TRAVELER
I understand, I wasn’t thinking about, like...

REDPATH
How old are you?

TRAVELER
Thirty-three.

REDPATH
And what did you tell your wife? Did you ever explain to her that it was not true?

TRAVELER
No, I never...

REDPATH
So right now she still thinks that your parents are in Pakistan somehow.

TRAVELER
No, I told her they’re back in America, that’s about it.

REDPATH
Where do you live here?

TRAVELER
My parents.

REDPATH
You’re 33 years old. This is something that I consider a child doing, a teenager doing something like this.

TRAVELER
I hear you. I completely agree.

REDPATH
The U.S. government takes this stuff very, very seriously.

REDPATH
Do I have enough to hold him? Not at this point in time. The FBI might want to take this up and move forward with it.

REDPATH
Expect something huge to come from this!

REDPATH
Put yourself in my shoes right now—look at the position that you’ve put me in. I’m sitting here and you’re telling me the story. Think of it the other way I’m sitting in front of you telling you that story—how does that sound to you? Does that make any sense at all?

TRAVELER
I’m gonna think you’re stupid.

REDPATH
This is one the strangest things I’ve ever seen or heard a passenger come in through here with. And I’ve heard some strange things. Yeah, this one takes the cake for sure.


FINN
We got a guy coming from Guyana, acting nervous. 
He’s making his third trip in the last year.

ELIAS
How ya doing? Can I see your passport? How you doing today, sir?

ROY
Alright.

ELIAS
Mr. [bleep]?

ROY
Yes.

ELIAS
Okay...any fruits, vegetables, alcohol?

ROY
No.

ELIAS
Currency over $10,000?

ROY
No.

ELIAS
And how long were you away for?

ROY
About seven days.

ELIAS
And what was the purpose of your trip?

ROY
Just a real small vacation.

ELIAS
Any family down in Guyana?

ROY
Um, no—just some friends I know.

ELIAS
Okay, we’ll take a quick look at your bag and we’ll get you on your way. Going back down to Georgia tonight, or…?

ROY
Not tonight.

ELIAS
Not tonight?

FINN
He has no business being in New York, because he lives in Georgia.

ELIAS
Where you headed tonight?

FINN
And he has no business being in Guyana. So he’s like a double-whammy. I mean, he’s in two spots that, what are you doing other than picking up drugs and dropping them off here?

FINN
How you doing, sir?

ROY
Alright.

FINN
Good.

ELIAS
What hotel you gonna get in Brooklyn, which one?

ROY
Um, Galaxy.

FINN
You’re staying in a hotel here?

ROY
Huh?

FINN
You’re staying in a hotel here?

ROY
Yeah, I’m gonna be staying for a night.

FINN
Oh, where you live?

ROY
I live in Georgia.

FINN
Oh. What are you coming here for? In New York?

ROY
Family live here.

FINN
Oh, so you’re gonna visit family while you’re here?

ROY
Yeah.

FINN
What family you got here?

ROY
I got my sister, my mother, my stepmother.

FINN
After you feel hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of bags, that one bag that has that load around the side, you’re gonna know right away. 

FINN
And once I see Chris starts packing up the bag right away, you know there’s no need to go further. 

FINN
Let’s pack his bag, just so we don’t make a scene outside; try to keep the guy as calm and cool as possible.

ROY
Need some help?

FINN
Hold on, dropped the socks...
Alright, you can grab your bag now.

ROY
Okay, thank you. 

ROY
Is this going to be on TV?

FINN
Huh?

ROY
Is this gonna be on TV?

FINN
Yeah, you might be.

FINN
Hey listen—we’re gonna take you into a private room, okay? We’re just gonna check your body.

ROY
Okay.

FINN
Alright, just…follow this officer right here.

CAMPOS
I’m gonna just watch you guys come up to the flight, it’s coming in right now within a few minutes. Okay, no problem. Bye bye.

CAMPOS
The thing with this flight, it’s a flight that sees a lot of powder. Loose powder’s not easy to pick up on the X-ray. It does go by.

CAMPOS
So K-9’s gonna be doin’ it upstairs. They get it inside with the dog, we get something big—and we’re right there on the spot.

KIRKLAND
What are we doin’? Let’s go big girl!

KHZAM
Another good flight has come in, and if there are narcotics, we’re gonna get it.


CAMPOS
By the way the K-9’s reacting, I would say there’s definitely something in that bag.

KIRKLAND
Good girl, good girl, good girl, good girl...

CAMPOS
Right now what we’re gonna do is put all our protective equipment on. We're gonna try to identify the substance, the contraband. 

CAMPOS
So I’m gonna go ahead and dive in there, and see what we got.

CAMPOS
And there we go. 

CAMPOS
K-9 Brenda was definitely on the money today.

CAMPOS
Lotta different items in here, so usually when you’re doing a search, you’re trying to make sure you get through every piece. Have a quick look, if we see any more...there ya go. There goes another one. 

CAMPOS
We definitely got a load here. Just feel around the bottom, I mean, we already know we have big, brick-like objects on the bottom. So, there you go. Makes it a lot easier, you just concentrate on those.

CAMPOS
We’re gonna go ahead and test it in a minute.

CAMPOS
I’m just gonna look around real quick and make sure we got no other items. ’Cause a lot of the times you get focused on one item, and you have something else right in the bag.

CAMPOS
A lot of times with the hats and materials and such, you’ll get heroin or other types of drugs sewn into the lining. 

CAMPOS
And uh, I don’t know if you can get a good look at it, you see how it was glued, and it kinda dried and raised? A lot of times when they make a false panel in an item, they use glues that are hard to get off. And they wrinkle up the material, just ’cause they don’t want you to get in there, and discover it. 

CAMPOS
So I’m just gonna go ahead and cut into it...

CAMPOS
Actually, you know what? For a second I think I was wrong, but I’m right. It’s oily, it’s pasty and it’s green.

CAMPOS
Hash.

CAMPOS
We got this outta the way. We’ll go ahead and go on to the big boys. See how it’s popping out? It’s a little windy in here? Tell you what—I’m gonna go ahead and get a mask, ’cause I don’t wanna inhale it. It’s too windy in here.

CAMPOS
Don’t get too close. There you go. You see the reaction, it’s like a creamy white reaction? It’s a little bit hard to see. That’s indicative for crystal meth.

CAMPOS
We'll meet up with Homeland Security investigators, we’ll get it processed, and we’ll get it set up for destruction.

CAMPOS
It’s very satisfying, ’cause I live on Long Island on the border of Queens, you know?

CAMPOS
I stopped this from coming into Queens. You know, stopped this from going into Long Island, wherever else they were gonna have it destined for. So I’m happy.



FINN
Alright, just, you can follow this officer right here.

FINN
We pulled him aside, and pretty much knew right away once we opened the bag that—I saw it standing there that it was bulging around the sides of it. 

FINN
The guy was calm and cool, get him into a room with no problems.

FINN
In here, what’s he gonna do? Where’s he gonna go, he’s not gonna go nowhere.

ELIAS
Okay, this is what I want you to do, sir. Just place your bag up here real quick. Alright? Uh, just remove your jacket. Yeah.

FINN
We’re just gonna, uh, check your body. Alright? Make sure you’re not carrying anything on your body.

ROY
Yeah, sure.

ELIAS
I’m just gonna do some, you know, routine checks on the bag, to make sure...


ROY
Um—um, um, um...come on, man. Why are y’all taking apart my bag?

FINN
We all know what it is.

ROY
What is?

FINN
What’s in your bag.

ELIAS
Four packages.

FINN
I don’t know, you got packages of something there.

ELIAS
One, two...three, four. I’m just gonna probe it.

FINN
Cocaine, most likely.

ELIAS
Probably.

ROY
Oh, man. I didn’t know nothing was in there! I swear to God! I’m lost.

FINN
He acted shocked when we found the stuff in his bag. But he ain’t winnin’ no Academy Awards. I’ll tell you that much.

FINN
Roy. Roy. Come on.

ROY
What are those? What are those?

FINN
Come on, Roy.

ELIAS
There. That’s what I wanna see. Okay.

FINN
He wants to see, show him.

ELIAS
That means it’s cocaine.

ELIAS
Mr. [bleep]...

ROY
I swear to God I don’t know...

ELIAS
This is a positive test for cocaine.

ROY
I swear to God I don’t know.

ELIAS
At this time I’m gonna ask you to stand up. Just put your hands behind your back. You know what’s going on here, right?

ROY
I’m being arrested!

ELIAS
Right. Here, have a seat here.

FINN
The guys that bring the drugs in over the borders are the mules.

FINN
They’re just handin’ this stuff off to the people that are really gonna break it down and start puttin’ em out on the streets. So, the people that are gettin’ it from this guy—those are the people we really want.

FINN
This is what’s gonna happen now. We’re gonna have our agents, they’re gonna come and they’re gonna talk to you. They’re gonna ask you a bunch of questions about this. And about you.

FINN
Anybody that would be pickin’ up that bag outside, we’re getting very close to the point where they realize something’s wrong, and they’ll be taking off. So his time is running short.

FINN
My advice to you—you wanna help yourself, be honest. That’s all I'm gonna tell you. Don't...

ROY
With that stuff like that, with that in there, I’m going to jail for a while anyway, [bleep]!

FINN
That was about three to four Ki’s, I would say, of close to pure cocaine. So you’re talking, you know, $200,000? Street value?

ROY
I’m gonna ask you—I mean, not knowing, for real, for real how much time is this?

ELIAS
You got, you’re lookin’ at, minimum, 10 years, man. You know? I’m not joking—I...from what I hear, you got 10 years. You got a pretty decent-sized weight there. This is federal.







BORIS
JFK is one of the largest ports here in the United States, as far as mail’s concerned. 

BORIS
On average, we receive 700,000 packages a day. 

BORIS
And we have to screen each and every package for possible contraband. 

BORIS
We always have to know all the concealments, and we have to be a step ahead of them.

TONY
What country do you have?

BORIS
I have Indonesia here.

BORIS
You can look through boxes every day for weeks and weeks, and not get anything. You just have to be patient and eventually you’ll get something.

BORIS
If I see some kind of difference between the declaration and what I see on the X-ray, we usually open up the package.

BORIS
We have United States postal money orders. Each one is close to $1000…which appear to be fake.

BORIS
And here we also have bank checks. And each one, for the value of $2800. CVS pharmacy money grams. American Express travel checks. 

BORIS
The quality of the paper is not the same. Plus whatever appears to be a watermark, it’s not really a watermark; it’s just a drawing.

BORIS
You look it up, it disappears. It all is fake. The amount, total amount would be probably...over a million dollars.

BORIS
Wow, it’s $1,155,230.

OFFICER
Damn...

BORIS
It definitely feels great to save people from losing money. In this particular case, postal inspectors will take control over the packages, and I believe all the contents will be eventually burned.






FINN
Looks like three to four Ki’s of cocaine in his bag. I’m excited right now, I ain’t gonna lie. This is great—I mean, this is what we look for every day.



ROY
Oh, not my playboys!

ELIAS
I have to do that. I just put a little hole in it.

FINN
Ain’t no one gonna know but you.

(Laughter)

ELIAS
Some things they just don’t get back.

ROY
Like what?

ELIAS
Like the drugs.

ROY
This—this, I’m being honest, for me, for this? This is my first.

FINN
Roy, these are the kinda things when these agents come. Don’t [bleep bleep] them like you’re [bleep] me, Roy!

ROY
Oh man...

FINN
When they come, don’t [bleep] ’em. That’s your one get-outta-jail-free card.

FINN
We called our HSI agents, and they’re gonna talk to him and see if he’s willing to cooperate, and maybe go get some arrests on the people that are collecting these drugs out on the streets.

WONG
Hey. So we’re gonna go over what’s goin’ on. What do you got goin’ on?

ELIAS
Let’s go outside.

ELIAS
He was nervous from the get-go...and saying that, you know, how much time am I gonna do for this. 

MARINO
Apparently, CBP went through the luggage and found approximately four kilos of suspected cocaine. Okay, as of right now, he’s detained, he’s waiting for us to interview him and see what he has to say. Hopefully we can get a confession.

MARINO
Hey man. How’s it goin’?

MARINO
Take it to the next step. Hopefully, we get the next person involved.

MARINO
Let’s talk for a few minutes. You know what’s going on right now?

ROY
Yeah, they found some drugs in my bag.

MARINO
Okay. Right now you’re under arrest for that. Okay? Looks like there’s a little bit of weight to it. There’s possibility of possession with intent to distribute. 

MARINO
Listen up Right now, my goal is to kinda take the weight off of you. Try and find out what exactly has taken place, why you have it, who put you up to this, what reason you have for doing this.

MARINO
If you want to talk to me about it, that’s great—we’ll talk all night long. If you don’t talk to me, that’s fine too, that’s your choice. However, the investigation’s gonna stop here, and in turn, you’re gonna be liable for whatever we found in your suitcase.

MARINO
He’s the little guy, he’s the first guy on the totem pole. Unfortunately, with this kind of stuff, it’s tag, you’re it. He has it, you know—he’s responsible for it right now. And if he wants to help himself out, hopefully he’ll give us the next person in line.

MARINO
So you gotta make that decision if you wanna talk or not. Alright?


***** BREAK 2 *****



FINN
People conceal things—any way you can think of, people will conceal things. I’ve seen 15-year-old kids that have swallowed drugs. Fifteen-year-old girl that had her whole body strapped up with drugs.

FINN
I mean, that—that to me is surprising, is how young some of these kids get into the game. And how much in dire need some people are to make a buck.

FINN
Officer Garcia stopped a passenger. Um, it’s a young kid. He lives in the Dominican Republic. He seemed a little nervous out there, he says he’s comin’ here, doesn’t really know where he’s going. So, we’ll see.

OFFICER1
Keys, cell phone, everything in your pocket. No U.S. dollars?

OFFICER2
He’s got a Florida driver’s license.

FINN
You’re from Florida?

JEAN
I was living in Santiago.

FINN
Just to get this together. You’re here to look at schools. Your cousin’s gonna pick you up. You’re gonna stay with him for four days or so, and then you’re gonna head back. Right?

JEAN
Right.

FINN
Your mother knows you’re here? Your father knows you’re here? You have a number for your parents, your mother or your father?

JEAN
Um...no sir.

FINN
How do you get in touch with your mother?

JEAN
She’ll um...she’ll call me.

FINN
What do you mean she’ll call you? What if she doesn’t call you? What if you need to get in touch with your mother? What about when you’re in the Dominican Republic, when you’re roamin’ around, hangin’ out. How do you call your mother, how do you call your father?

JEAN
I don’t.

FINN
You don’t? So you never call your mother, never call your father. You expect me to believe that?

JEAN
Yes, sir.

FINN
You do?

JEAN
It’s the honest truth.

FINN
Who bought your ticket?

JEAN
My uncle.

FINN
Okay. So your uncle can verify that.

JEAN
Yes, sir.

FINN
Alright. What’s your uncle’s number?

JEAN
It’s this one. First one at the top.

GARCIA
What’s his name?

JEAN
My uncle’s name? It’s um...Alex.

FINN
Alex what?

JEAN
I don’t know his last name.

FINN
You don’t know your uncle’s name?

[Bleep]

GARCIA
You think?

FINN
Come on, man. You don’t have your uncle in your contacts?

FINN
How long you had this phone?

JEAN
For like...a month?

FINN
So in a month’s time, you don’t put your parents’ numbers in there, you don’t put your uncle’s numbers in there, but you can put Big Q and Black and Bullet and Calle 10? Alright, let’s call Alex.

GARCIA
I think he’s lying. He has no money. His story’s just not making any sense. So let’s see if I can get a hold of the uncle.

FINN
Whose number is this?

JEAN
I don’t know.

FINN
Dude. It’s in your phone, you called it. It’s not in my phone.

GARCIA
The number is not going through.

FINN
Who’d you talk to this morning two times, at an 809 number?

JEAN
Um...

OFFICER
Are you kidding me? Give that to (inaudible)...

GARCIA
No, that’s the only number I have. Thank you...

FINN
I’m trying to get an idea of why you’re here, so I'm calling some people to get that idea, because from you, you’re giving me nothing.

GARCIA
This is the last one I try.

FINN
When some of these people can start connecting the dots and verifying what you say, you’ll be out the door. But I don’t think that’s happening.

GARCIA
So we have gotten absolutely nowhere.

FINN
You understand what we do?

JEAN
Of course.

FINN
What do we do?

JEAN
You guys...it says on the wall, says like illegal drugs...

FINN
Right.

JEAN
Okay.

FINN
So we look for people that bring drugs into the United States.

JEAN
Okay.

FINN
In the last week or so, we’ve had a huge uprising of young kids living in the Dominican Republic that are bringing drugs into the country in their stomach. 

FINN
They’re swallowing pellets or liquid condoms. You need to understand right now. You will not walk outta here with drugs in your stomach.



MARINO
Would you like to talk to me and let me know what’s going on?

ROY
I be honest with you, I—I, I, I...

MARINO
What?

ROY
I’m in a bad—I’m in a bad...

MARINO
You’re in a bad spot.

ROY
I’m in a bad spot, man.

MARINO
You’re in bad spot.

ROY
I’m in a bad spot. Shoo...wow.

MARINO
What we would like to do is to go downstairs, see who he was supposed to meet. Okay? Hopefully that person will then take the package, and then we could identify another individual who is involved in this ring.

MARINO
Talk to me—let me know what’s going on, how this got in your bag, where this was supposed to go, okay? Who’s picking you up. Let me know. Let me take the heat off of you for a bit, and then let’s see if we can help each other. Okay?

ROY
Everything is—I mean, what do you want me, what, what is it that you actually want me to tell you? I’m [bleep] lost.

MARINO
Anybody coming to pick you up?

ROY
Um...

MARINO
That’s the most important question. Was somebody supposed to pick this up from the airport?

ROY
Was somebody supposed to pick me up from the airport? Yeah.

MARINO
Okay. Is that person involved with that suitcase?

ROY
I don’t—I can’t say yes or no.

MARINO
Who is that person?

ROY
I don’t know his name.

MARINO
Okay. How do you know he was supposed to pick you up?

ROY
Well, hour ago, I’d make a phone call, and someone would come and get me.

MARINO
Okay, did you make that phone call yet?

ROY
No, my phone is not working.

MARINO
Your phone’s not working. Okay.

MARINO
If I get your phone, you wanna make that phone call?


WONG
We’re gonna try to get him to call the person that was gonna come here and pick him up. I think we got a good shot of getting that person, if we can just get him over that, that first step.

MARINO
Come on, talk to me. Let me know what’s going on. That’s the only way I can try and help you, and take the heat off you for a bit.

WONG
Roy, are these cameras bothering you?

ROY
Yes, they are.

WONG
I’ll ask them to step out. And then we’ll talk? If you don’t want it, we’ll step out and we’ll start talking.

ROY
I appreciate you...

WONG
Alright, why don’t you guys step out for now.


MARINO
We gotta get past—we have to get past, you don’t know what it was, and all that stuff.

MARINO
Just be honest! You remember the phone number, I’ll get your phone to work.

WONG
He needs a little convincing. So we’re working on it.

MARINO
Alright. You come off this plane tonight. What are you supposed to do next?

MARINO
Somebody’s waiting for you right now?

MARINO
If I put you outside in the lobby, someone’s gonna come up to you?



MARINO
He admitted to knowing it was drugs. He was gonna be paid $3000. He said someone’s supposed to be waiting for him out downstairs.

WONG
Okay.

MARINO
He says he has no way of getting in contact with him.

WONG
Just somebody knows him.

MARINO
Just somebody—he won’t say who it is, what kind of car. He says somebody knows what he looks like, or they snapped a picture of him in Guyana. And we just got that 10 seconds ago. Someone’s supposed to be waiting for him downstairs.

WONG
Okay, let’s go work it out and hurry up.

MARINO
Yep. Time is now.

WONG
So Roy...

MARINO
We’re running out of time for anything to happen in your benefit. 

MARINO
I just want you to go and do what you were about to do, go out to the front, see who approaches you.

OFFICER
That’s worth a lot of money right there. Guys aren’t just gonna walk away from that.

MARINO
That guy’s waiting for his product.

MARINO
So are we done here?

ROY
I’m gonna have to say—I have nothing to offer. 

MARINO
Okay.

ROY
I have nothing else to give.

WONG
Is it—it’s my understanding that you want an attorney, is that correct?

ROY
I need one.

MARINO
The rule is, once he asks for an attorney, we stop. 

MARINO
That’s it—he wants an attorney, we respect that, and we continue our job.

MARINO
Bottom line, I got him to confess that he knew it was drugs, I got him to confess that he did get paid for it. 

MARINO
And uh, you know, he’s gonna do the time for it. So you know, ultimately you wanna continue the investigation, but if not, we got four Ki’s off the street, we got a confession. And everything’s good.

OFFICER
We’re going to put it up here, and weigh it up…

OFFICER
Just to make sure, 3.8917…kilograms. Package it for evidence.



FINN
So, you’re in this position right now because everything that you’ve told us so far does not make sense. Your reason for being here does not make sense. You can’t give us any contacts to verify any of that. 

FINN
So what we’re gonna do—we’re gonna take you to a doctor, right here in the airport.

JEAN
Okay.

FINN
He’s gonna take a picture of your stomach. 
No matter what anybody told you, we will see drugs in your stomach.

FINN
When we find drugs in your stomach, we’re gonna hand you over to our agents. And they’re gonna bring you in front of a judge. The judge that’s gonna give you three years, five years, ten years—the amount of time that you’re gonna spend in jail. 

FINN
Your cooperation starts now. I can’t guarantee you a lower sentence, I can’t guarantee you any of that. What I can tell you is that I will pass on to our agents that, listen, Jean started talking right away. He was trying to help himself.

FINN
Who was picking up the drugs, how much you’re getting paid—those are the unknowns. Those are the things that everybody wants to know. Now, did you make a mistake and swallow anything?

JEAN
No, sir.

FINN
You have no balloons in your stomach.

FINN
Jean...

FINN
The people that give him the drugs wanna put the person at ease. So that even if they end up in this position, they’ll say, you know, don’t worry, even if they talk to you, even if they take the X-ray, they’re not gonna see it.

FINN
Liquid does not get missed by an X-ray. It’s not true. We will see everything inside of your stomach. And then, as you can imagine, you’re gonna go to jail. Now, I’m gonna give you one last chance before I go make my phone call, but I have to ask you—or else I’m not doing my job—did you swallow anything today?

JEAN
No, sir.

FINN
Okay.

FINN
I like to get out of the room, maybe he’ll open up to some other people a little bit better.

BOWLES
Been doing this a long time, brother.

FINN
You know, give him a few minutes to think.

BOWLES
It doesn’t look good right now. I got sons your age. I know when they’re trying to hide something. Maybe I can say it in a way that will help you understand what’s really going on.

BOWLES
You’re just a courier. You’re just a mule. It doesn’t belong to you. We’re not really—really worried about, we want the guys that gave it to you. You sit there, and you say no, no, no, I don’t have it, I don’t swallow anything, and we find it, you go from being a courier to it’s all yours. That entire weight is on your shoulders. Alright. Make sure you understand courier to kingpin. I’d rather be the courier if I were you.

FINN
I think he wants to talk. But I don’t know if it’s about drugs in his stomach.

BOWLES
But what? We can’t confirm it, can’t deny it. This kid’s not a very good liar.

FINN
No, he’s horrible.

BOWLES
Behavior though. Can you get a read on it?

FINN
I mean...

BOWLES
No. He’s stalling.

FINN
This guy...yeah, he’s gotta have it.

BOWLES
It’s something. I’m not 100% sold it’s drugs, but it’s definitely something.

BOWLES
Why doesn’t your story make any sense? What is it? You say, look, my parents, we don’t get along, they kicked me outta the house, I come and stay with my uncle, and we can get him on the phone to verify that—you’d been out the [bleep] door! But you keep lying.

FINN
You really think you’re gonna beat that X-ray?

GARCIA
Why is it that I called seven numbers and I can’t talk to anybody?

BOWLES
The truth will help you.

FINN
You got a ticking time bomb in your stomach, dude. That stuff can open up any minute. And then, you’re having convulsions on the floor.

GARCIA
What do you think?

FINN
If he walks out that door, you feel comfortable—will it be going through your head for the rest of the night?

GARCIA
No, it’d go through my head.

FINN
Okay.

GARCIA
Only because I don’t like his story. But in the body language, like, I don’t see anything.

FINN
But we’ve been sitting there for 45 minutes right now.

GARCIA
And he’s 19.

FINN
That don’t matter.

GARCIA
I think we would’ve gotten it outta him...

FINN
I’ve seen a 16-year-old withstand the best interviewers we have here. Am I saying he’s loaded? I can’t give...

GARCIA
No, I’m not saying that.

FINN
I can’t give a percentage. But I’m saying that if he walks out that door, I’ll be thinking about it all night.

BOWLES
Okay, I’m gonna send it out.

GARCIA
Okay.

FINN
Okay, we are going to the doctor.

BOWLES
You have a jacket in that bag?

FINN
We’re gonna tape up your pant legs, just to make sure that if there’s anything inside of you, that nothing falls out. We’re gonna put you in handcuffs. We will see the pellets in your stomach. And you will go to jail.

***** BREAK 3 *****




BOWLES
I think I’m pretty good when it comes to reading a person, interviewing a person.

BOWLES
Trying to get a confession. He was lying from the beginning, so I don’t know what to believe with this kid. 

BOWLES
Couldn’t confirm any part of his story. He gave his contact numbers—it didn’t pan out. His parents don’t know he’s here. 

BOWLES
Nobody knows he’s here. 

BOWLES
Because of his lies, he led us to taking an X-ray. 

BOWLES
That’s what we do here If things don’t add up, red flags come up, we take it all the way to the end.

DOCTOR
Right there. Don’t move. 


DOCTOR
It’s gonna be negative. 

GARCIA
He’s clear.

BOWLES
Release this guy.

BOWLES
I think last year we had 70% or better success rate with these X-rays.

BOWLES
Every now and then, because it’s not a science, and we don’t have X-ray vision, we will—I guess, get it wrong, we’re human. 

BOWLES
He’s a U.S. citizen, he’s allowed to come in. Our concern was contraband. 

BOWLES
He’s clear of that.

GARCIA
I want to find out what it is, why does he keep on lying?

BOWLES
I got the impression he’s running here to a family member that we can’t confirm.

ELIAS
To subject yourself to this? I mean...

BOWLES
It’s not worth it.

ELIAS
To me, I’m like...

BOWLES
Go down the road.

ELIAS
That’s it, you know? Tell the truth. I’m not gonna judge you.

BOWLES
My thing is, once I release him, now what? Where you going?

GARCIA
Yeah, I mean, you’re free to go, but...

BOWLES
To me, I have sons and nephews his age. He has no guidance—he has no clue what he’s gonna do once we walk him out that door.

GARCIA
Are you gonna let your mother—are you gonna let her know that you’re here? No? When do you plan on going back home? You don’t plan on going back home? You think the family’s not gonna call her, and tell her that you’re here?

ELIAS
What, did you have a fight with your parents or something?

JEAN
It’s a lot of...

GARCIA
A lot of problems?

JEAN
Yeah.

ELIAS
Alright, I mean, that’s—that’s not a crime, I mean, that happens to all of us.

JEAN
I dunno, I got...

ELIAS
So basically you’re just coming here to get away from your parents.

GARCIA
And you don’t know if you’re going back.

JEAN
I’m not.

GARCIA
So if your mother calls your phone, you’re gonna answer like if you were over there? Or you’re never gonna answer it anymore?

JEAN
I’m not gonna answer it.

GARCIA
You know, me being a mom, it’s—that’s difficult, you call your child, and they don’t answer the phone. You should at least let her know you’re here. Let her know you’re okay.

JEAN
I don’t know, I got...

BOWLES
Talking to him, you can see that he’s running from something. Or something’s really wrong in this kid’s life, and I mean, I’m not a social worker, but I can pick up on it. You know, we’re trained to read people, that wasn’t hard to read. 

BOWLES
Whatever’s bothering him is bothering him pretty good. And he has no money. He has no contacts here, he says he has people here, but he has no addresses, no phone numbers.

BOWLES
You gotta get your [bleep] together. You can’t just walk out. I mean, you’re gonna be in the airport doing what? Where you gonna go?

BOWLES
I don’t know why he was lying.

BOWLES
We’ll escort him back to the terminal we had him at. And we’ll put him out front, and he’s free to go. I honestly do hope I don’t see him again. 

BOWLES
But if I do I hope he’s doing well.

BOWLES
I do know it’s cold. And I do know he does not have a jacket. He will feel it later on.