A McAllen woman who is accused of smuggling cocaine brought along her children and a male co-defendant in hopes of deterring authorities from searching the vehicle because they appeared to be a family, according to a criminal complaint.
Border Patrol agents at the Falfurrias checkpoint encountered Paola Astrit Rodriguez, who was born in 2001, on Tuesday. She told agents she was traveling to Corpus Christi to visit the aquarium, the complaint reads.
According to the document, Rodriguez was visibly nervous, responded with short answers and appeared to be in a hurry, so agents asked to take an X-ray of the vehicle and she consented.
The X-ray revealed an anomaly with the vehicle’s battery, which was larger than normal. Upon further inspection, agents found four tape wrapped packages concealed within, according to the complaint.
The packages, which weighed nearly 10 pounds, were filled with cocaine.
During an interview conducted by a Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent and a Task Force Officer from McAllen, Rodriguez said she was hired by an unknown person in the United States to transport what she suspected was drugs from Weslaco further into Texas and expected to be paid $800 for smuggling, the document said.
She also admitted to multiple other drug smuggling events over the year and said she would travel with her co-defendant, Guadalupe Ramirez, who was born in 1998, and her two minor children to make it appear as if they were family, making them less susceptible to being apprehended.
“Rodriguez stated Ramirez was aware of the drugs concealed within the battery and had previously accompanied her on at least one drug smuggling event,” the complaint said.
The suspects made a first appearance Wednesday morning in McAllen federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alaniz, who ordered them both temporarily held without bond pending future probable cause and detention hearings, court records show.
