McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A city councilwoman from the Mexican border town of Reynosa intends to plead guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in South Texas, according to court documents filed Monday in federal court.
Denisse Ahumada-Martinez, 34, on Monday signed a notice of plea agreement in the U.S. District Court of Southern District in McAllen. The documents indicate she plans to plead guilty at her next federal court hearing on conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Her next hearing has not yet been set.
She was arrested June 10 after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say they found over 90 pounds of drugs, including cocaine, wrapped in duct tape inside the seats and door panels of a car she was driving through the CBP checkpoint in the South Texas town of Falfurrias.
Federal charges were initially dropped against her and she was being escorted back to Mexico when the State of Texas stopped and arrested her on June 16 as she was trying to cross back into Mexico.
On June 26, federal officials filed new drug charges against her after a grand jury indicted her.
Her lawyer Samuel Reyes, who was initially appointed to represent her on the first federal drug-trafficking charges, told Border Report that his client told federal officials that she was coerced by Mexican drug operatives who said they would kill her and her two young daughters if she did not drive the vehicle north to San Antonio.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.