Drug-Smuggling Arrest of 2 Seniors Not That Uncommon, Officials Say

They looked like what they were: two 69-year-old women returning from a trip into Mexico in a luxury car.

But the Border Patrol says they had 400 pounds of marijuana in the car, most of it in the trunk. And other federal officials say they’re seeing more and more cases of elderly drug smugglers.

“We have always seen elderly people driving Winnebagos and cars, some carrying a considerable amount of drugs and money hidden in false panels,” said Alejandro Duran, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration here.

“It’s just disheartening to see people at a supposedly responsible age doing this thing,” Duran said.

The phenomemon of older people being used as narcotics runners has been seen throughout the West and elsewhere, he said. “They’re not used as frequently, but it’s common.”

Jacqueline Homa of Tucson and her friend, Gloria Slopek of Brooklyn Park, Minn., were arrested Wednesday and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Homa was released on her own recognizance, while Slopek was held pending a bail hearing today.

The pair told authorities they were recruited for the trip at a Tucson-area casino, where they had hit a $4,000 jackpot.

It’s not uncommon for the elderly to be approached in such a manner, authorities say.

“We get intelligence briefings from law-enforcement agencies all over, and that has been a trend that we see--particularly with motor homes,” said Lt. Penny Gillette of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

“Winter visitors or travelers to Mexico are often approached. It’s not unique. It’s happening more frequently these days.”

She said some take up drug transporting because of family involvement and others for the challenge, but most do so for financial reasons.

In Wednesday’s arrest, the Border Patrol agent first spotted a package of marijuana on the rear floor of the car. The rest of the 394 pounds was in the trunk, officials said.