A 26-year-old Brownsville woman remains in federal custody after she was accused of trying to smuggle cocaine and fentanyl through the Sarita checkpoint.
According to a criminal complaint, Jessica Guerra told U.S. Border Patrol agents she was going to be paid $2,200 to smuggle the narcotics from Brownsville to Houston.
Guerra appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III for her initial appearance. Her preliminary hearing and detention hearing are scheduled for Feb. 7. She is being held without bond.
The complaint states that on Jan. 20 Guerra presented herself to the agents for an immigration inspection while riding as a passenger in a Tornado bus. While in a secondary inspection area at the checkpoint, the agents noticed “unusual behavior from Guerra.”
The agents asked for consent to conduct a pat down on Guerra and she consented, the complaint states. The agents found two bundles strapped to her midsection under her shirt. One bundle contained 1.42 kilograms or 3 pounds of cocaine and the second contained 1.65 kilograms or 3.6 pounds of fentanyl, according to the complaint.
During her post-Miranda interview, Guerra admitted to knowingly and intentionally transporting the narcotics from Brownsville to Houston, the complaint states.
