Woman’s gas tank had 11 pounds of cocaine, feds say

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A woman accused of entering the United States with 11 pounds of cocaine in her gas tank was arrested this past weekend, authorities said.

Katya Carolina Garza, a U.S. citizen, was arrested Jan. 7 on charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, federal records show.

Garza entered the U.S. from Mexico at the Brownville and Matamoros Port of Entry, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ValleyCentral.

Garza was identified as the driver of a red Ford Escape and her vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection after an “automated computer generated alert,” authorities said.

Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection found five bundles of a white substance in a “fabricated compartment in the gas tank,” the complaint stated.

The bundles weighed a total of 11.4 pounds and tested positive for the properties of cocaine, authorities said.

According to the complaint, Garza was interviewed where she admitted to being employed by a drug smuggling organization.

Garza has a preliminary examination hearing scheduled for Jan. 12, records show.