A Matamoros woman has been arrested by federal authorities after she was found in possession of more than 44 pounds of cocaine.
Odilia Ruth Combs, whose age is unclear, told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that she was transporting the drugs for financial gain, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Combs appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III, who ordered she be held without bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 9.
According to the federal criminal complaint, Combs, on Nov. 3, was attempting to enter the United States from Mexico in a 2008 black Jeep Compass via the Los Indios Free Trade Bridge.
Upon entry, Combs was referred to a secondary inspection area, where CBP officers found several bundles of a “white powdery substance concealed under the rear seat and inside the front driver and passenger doors,” the federal criminal complaint stated.
The 18 bundles, weighing 20.24 kilograms or 44.61 pounds, tested positive for cocaine.
During a post-Miranda interview, Combs admitted to knowing she was transporting illegal drugs from Mexico into the U.S. for financial gain, the federal criminal complaint stated.
