Border officers manning a port of entry between the U.S. and Mexico arrested a 75-year-old woman Monday after they found nearly 17 points of heroin hidden in her car and in her purse.
The woman, a U.S. citizen, drove a 2008 Ford Escape SUV into the Marcelino Serna port of entry just after noon. Customs and Border Protection officers must have sensed something because they sent her to secondary screening for a more thorough look.
An x-ray scan showed suspicious packages hidden in the car’s center console. Officers determined that was heroin — and found still more in the woman’s purse. All told, seven packages weighed 16.75 pounds, officials said.
The woman was arrested and will face charges, the government said.
“This is not the first time we have stopped a senior smuggler and it probably won’t be the last,” said Donna Sifford, the port director.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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