Customs officers found a kilogram of methamphetamine hidden in two large picture frames of religious artwork, according to a federal affidavit unsealed Friday.
The frames came from Toluca, Mexico and were delivered to a Pittsburgh store, where a man who picked them up was arrested and charged in federal court with drug smuggling.
Customs officials intercepted the package at a shipping facility in Memphis, Tenn., in late August and discovered the frames were hollow and contained long black packages filled with white powder.
A Pennsylvania state police trooper working undercover as a parcel delivery man allowed the Pittsburgh store owner to sign for the package. The store owner set it on a shelf and another man, Carmel Rojas-Perez of Pittsburgh, picked it up about four hours later, court documents said.
Rojas-Perez told authorities that a friend in Mexico sent the frames, according to the affidavit. Rojas-Perez was ordered held without bail.
His federal public defender declined comment.
