‘Aloe vera’ jugs were actually hiding nearly 90 pounds of meth, feds say

A mom who was given $500 to pick up jugs of meth in Mexico and bring them back into the U.S. recently pleaded guilty to the alleged crime, according to federal authorities.

The woman was driving an SUV into Texas with her two children — ages 10 and 6 — when she stopped at the Lincoln Juarez Bridge Port of Entry in Laredo on April 3, according to court records.

During her admission inspection, border protection officers spotted “several jugs inside of brown cardboard boxes” within her trunk, officials said. They also noticed a jug’s cap looked like it had been tampered with, and the liquid had an “inconsistent color.”

She said the jugs contained aloe vera, according to a Sept. 19 news release.

She was taken to a secondary inspection, where officials used a test to confirm the liquid was actually methamphetamine, according to the news release.

Authorities say she had nearly 90 pounds of meth in the vehicle with her.

In a statement to McClatchy News, the woman’s defense attorney said she “has accepted her role in this crime.”

“Unfortunately there are people who prey on single mother’s ... and have them carry out their dirty work,” he said. “(She) is obviously a mule and the more responsible parties have been able to remain in the dark, unprosecuted.”

The woman admitted she was a hired by a friend she met at her Houston apartment complex, according to court records.

“The acquaintance provided her with a contact in Mexico and told her to bring her children to make the trip look legitimate,” officials said. “(She) was given $500 for expenses and traveled to Nuevo Laredo where she met a husband and wife who provided her the jugs, and put the jugs in cardboard boxes to appear less suspicious.”

She thought she’d be paid about $3,000 for the trip, in which she “claimed she thought she was smuggling cocaine,” records state.

The woman pleaded guilty to one count of “conspiracy to import,” according to court records. She faces anywhere from 10 years to life in prison, and a fine up to $10 million.

She has been held in custody, but authorities say she may be released after posting her bond.

This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 5:23 PM with the headline "‘Aloe vera’ jugs were actually hiding nearly 90 pounds of meth, feds say."