SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Puerto Rican singer Farruko was accused on Wednesday of hiding nearly $52,000 in undeclared cash in his luggage and his shoes when he arrived in the US territory via helicopter from a trip to the Dominican Republic.
The US Attorney’s Office said the singer, whose name is Carlos Efren Reyes, was arrested on charges of failing to declare transportation of monetary instruments in excess of $10,000 and bulk cash smuggling into the United States.
Farruko was initially detained on Monday at the Isla Grande airport when agents searched his bags and found the money after he declared he was not carrying more than $10,000, said US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez. Then a judge on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant, and he was detained that evening at his parents’ house in the northern city of Bayamon, Ivan Ortiz, a spokesman for US Customs and Immigration Enforcement, told The Associated Press.
Farruko was being held without bond and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon. If found guilty, he could face a maximum fine of $250,000 or up to five years in prison, or both.
Officials at Carbon Fiber Music, an entertainment company that represents the singer, did not return messages for comment.
Farruko is a well-known reggaeton and trap singer who in 2012 was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album. He has an upcoming international tour that starts April 19 in Mexico City and ends in Los Angeles on June 30.
Farruko accused of hiding $52K in his shoes, luggage
Farruko accused of hiding $52K in his shoes, luggage
Christmas Eve winner in Arkansas lands a $1.817 billion Powerball lottery jackpot
- The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the Powerball number being 19
- The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, Powerball said
ARKANSAS, USA: A Powerball ticket purchased at a gas station outside Little Rock, Arkansas, won a $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner.
The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the Powerball number being 19. The winning ticket was sold at a Murphy USA in Cabot, lottery officials in Arkansas said Thursday. No one answered the phone Thursday at the location, which was closed for Christmas. The community of roughly 27,000 people is 26 miles (42 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock.
Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previous expected, making it the second-largest in US history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according to www.powerball.com. The jackpot had a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9 million.
“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, was quoted as saying by the website. “We also want to thank all the players who joined in this jackpot streak — every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”
The prize followed 46 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers.
The last drawing with a jackpot winner was Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion.
Organizers said it is the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas. It first happened in 2010.
The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, Powerball said. The company added that the sweepstakes also has been won on Christmas Day four times, most recently in 2013.
Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes.
“With the prize so high, I just bought one kind of impulsively. Why not?” Indianapolis glass artist Chris Winters said Wednesday.
Tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
