A Houston woman pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle 89 pounds of liquid meth in aloe bottles from Mexico. The woman used her children during the attempt to distract law enforcement.
This week, Evelyn Fabiola Ramirez, 28, went before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana in Laredo, where she pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to import methamphetamine. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ramirez is facing a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars and a $10 million fine. Her sentencing date has not yet been set.
The case began on April 3, when Ramirez drove an SUV to the Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo, court documents revealed. The woman had her two children inside the vehicle at the time. When the woman pulled up to a primary inspection booth, an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection spoke with her and, after catching some inconsistencies in her story, had her sent to a secondary inspection. CBP officers noticed a collection of tampered-with Aloe Vera bottles. The officers inspected the liquids, which appeared to have an unusual color and confirmed the methamphetamine contents.
According to court records, the woman admitted she was hired by an unknown individual at an apartment complex in Houston. She also told authorities that they paid her $500 for traveling expenses and $3,000 once the drugs reached their destination. As a way to conceal her purpose, the owners of the drugs advised her to take her children on the trip. Ramirez stated she believed she was carrying cocaine.
Luisana Moreno is a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.