90 Pounds of Cocaine Found in Car
About 90 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $12 million was found hidden in the trunk and hood of a sports car trying to clear customs at the San Ysidro border crossing, U.S. Customs officials said.
The drug seizure Tuesday night was the largest in the border checkpoint’s history, officials said.
Two 20-year-old women traveling in the car--Veronica Nava, a nursing assistant in Chula Vista, and Argentina Armendariz-Rodeles of Chula Vista--were arrested and charged with conspiracy to import and sell the drug. They were in the Metropolitan Correctional Center Wednesday evening.
If convicted, each faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Small amounts of cocaine were also discovered on Nava’s body when agents searched for weapons, a Customs spokeswoman said.
Tuesday’s seizure brings the total amount of cocaine discovered at the checkpoint since the start of the fiscal year in October to 214 pounds, double the amount of cocaine discovered during all of fiscal 1985.
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