Federal authorities say a woman had a toddler in her vehicle when Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies discovered more than 12 pounds of cocaine hidden inside that vehicle after a traffic stop on Highway 281.
A criminal complaint filed against Valeria Nohemi Lugo, a U.S. citizen born in 1994, says deputies pulled her over Monday for an unspecified traffic infraction on the highway in Edinburg.
“Lugo was accompanied by a dog in the front passenger seat and a toddler in the back seat of the vehicle,” the complaint stated.
During the traffic stop, a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the blue 2017 Volkswagon Tiguan she was driving, according to the complaint.
“Upon subsequent search of the vehicle, packages were discovered under a dog bed on top of the front passenger seat and also in the rear panel of the vehicle,” the complaint stated.
Federal authorities say the packages tested positive for cocaine.
After her arrest, Lugo agreed to speak with investigators, according to the complaint.
“Lugo stated that ‘I don’t know what drug it is, but I know it’s a narcotic.’ Lugo also stated that she was to be paid $3,000 after delivering the packages to San Antonio,” the complaint stated.
She is charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute approximately 12.7 pounds of cocaine.
Lugo was scheduled to make a first appearance Tuesday in McAllen federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
