A U.S. national is under police watch at a Nairobi hospital after developing severe abdominal complications from ingesting cocaine pellets in an alleged drug trafficking attempt.
Jarod Tyler Roberts, an American citizen, was admitted to a Nairobi hospital on Sunday, February 16, after showing signs of excessive drugging. His friend rushed him to the facility, where medical examinations revealed the presence of foreign objects in his digestive system.
Doctors at the hospital alerted anti-narcotics officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters. The officers arrived at the hospital to witness an endoscopy procedure, during which three pellets were extracted from the suspect’s rectum. The pellets, which tested positive for cocaine, weighed 57.98 grams. Authorities have seized and documented the illegal substance as evidence.
Further medical examinations confirmed that another pellet remains lodged in the suspect’s small intestines. Medical personnel are currently providing treatment to safely remove the remaining package.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Roberts had been temporarily staying at an Airbnb in Nairobi’s Westlands area. He was scheduled to board Ethiopian Airlines at 6:00 PM on the same day he was hospitalized, with a planned route from Nairobi to Saudi Arabia via Addis Ababa.
Law enforcement has since confiscated his travel and personal documents as they await his recovery. Upon being discharged from the hospital, Roberts will face drug trafficking charges in accordance with Kenyan law.
Authorities continue to crack down on international drug trafficking networks, with Kenya being a major transit point for narcotics destined for global markets. The arrest of Roberts adds to a growing list of drug mules caught attempting to smuggle illegal substances through the country.
