cocaine

USA: Judge denies bail reduction for woman accused of transporting more than 50 pounds of cocaine

Published

1 year ago

April 7, 2023

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A Summit County judge denied a request to reduce the bond for a Commerce City woman accused of transporting drugs.

During a court hearing Tuesday, April 4, Alexis Ariana Romero, 24, of Commerce City, asked Judge Susanna Lea Messner-Cutler to reduce her $50,000 cash surety bond.

Romero has been held on bond in the Summit County jail since her arrest on March 10. She faces charges of possessing a Schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance in excess of 225 grams with intent to distribute, a Class 1 drug felony; possessing a Schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance greater than 4 grams, a Class 4 drug felony; and a controlled substance importation special offense, a Class 1 drug felony.

Around noon on March 8, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office K9 Narcotic Interdiction and Detection Team initiated a traffic stop based on intelligence from state and federal law enforcement, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release last month.

During the traffic stop, the team’s drug-sniffing dog — Baby Blue — and her handler successfully detected drugs in the vehicle, the release states. Later, when executing a search warrant, law enforcement reportedly discovered 25 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine tested positive for both cocaine and fentanyl, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Romero was arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant at the time of the traffic stop and released on bond, the news release states. She was later arrested on felony charges stemming from the drugs found in her vehicle during the execution of the search warrant, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

On Monday, Public Defender Jessica Dennis said Romero has been unable to post the $50,000 bond. Romero has reached out to family, but no one is able to help and a bondsman is requiring property to be put up as collateral, Dennis said.

“The bond is just too much for her due to her current circumstances,” Dennis said. “That is really keeping her in custody.”

But Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Cava noted that Romero has already sought a bond reduction that Judge Edward Casias denied and, previous to that, had her bond reduced from $100,000 to $50,000 during a weekend bond hearing.

Cava said Colorado State Patrol’s task force with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has indicated that Romero is a flight risk because she has connections to individuals who could help her flee. Noting that Romero was allegedly transporting more than 50 pounds of cocaine, Cava also argued that Romero is a community safety risk.

“It is very possible she would not appear in court for this matter,” Cava said.

Romero said she does not have connections that could help her flee but was cut off by her public defender, who advised her not to speak on the matter in court. She also requested to be released on an ankle monitor but Judge Messner-Cutler denied that request as well.

“The court has reason to believe that you might be a flight risk,” Messner-Cutler said. “And (there are) certainly community safety issues.”

Source: https://www.summitdaily.com/news/judge-denies-bail-reduction-for-woman-accused-of-transporting-more-than-50-pounds-of-cocaine/

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cocaine

Lebanese authorities seize 8kg of cocaine at Beirut airport

Published

4 months ago

December 31, 2023

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Officials detain suspect who had previously served a six-year sentence for drug smuggling

Lebanese authorities said they had detained a man caught with about 8kg of cocaine at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport.

The man, a Brazilian national with Lebanese origins, had sought to conceal the drugs in a hidden compartment in his suitcase.

He had previously served a six-year sentence in a Lebanese prison on drug trafficking charges and was released in 2022.

Drug busts are relatively common at Lebanon’s only international airport, with authorities stepping up efforts to crack down on the trade in recent years amid pressure from countries in the Gulf.

In January, airport authorities stopped two Brazilian travellers who had ingested 2kg of cocaine in more than 150 capsules.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/2023/12/30/lebanese-authorities-seize-8kg-of-cocaine-at-beirut-airport/

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Malta: Racehorse tests positive for cocaine and other drugs after winning Marsa race

Published

5 months ago

November 13, 2023

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A racehorse tested positive for cocaine and other drugs after it won a race last month.

Six-year-old mare Halina Jibay was found with cocaine in its body when it outperformed nine other horses on the Marsa racecourse on October 1, tests carried out in a French doping laboratory revealed.

In a decision issued by the Malta Racing Club this week, the mare’s owner was suspended from all races for two years and fined €350.

A doping test result issued by the Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques and seen by Times of Malta confirms a urine sample taken from the horse on the day of the race contained cocaine, stanozolol (a synthetic steroid), ketamine (a form of tranquilliser), and methamphetamine (a stimulating drug), among other similar substances.

At least two of the substances – including cocaine – constitute among the most serious rule breaks according to the Malta Racing Club’s regulations, and the rules state such cases must also be reported to the police since the possession of these substances is illegal.

The Malta Racing Club last night said the horse owner was given until today to contest the findings and present a counter-analysis.

Should the owner not contest the findings, then the case will be reported to the police.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/racehorse-tests-positive-cocaine-drugs-winning-marsa-race.1066917

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East Boston man arrested after police find 240 grams of fentanyl in home

Published

6 months ago

November 8, 2023

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An East Boston man is facing a slew of drug charges after police found a stockpile of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms and thousands of dollars in his home, Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden announced Sunday.

“Fentanyl is a death drug, plain and simple,” Hayden said in a release. “The amount seized here — 240 grams of fentanyl, plus sizeable quantities of other drugs — represents a tremendous amount of potential human devastation.”

After months of investigating, police executed a search warrant for the apartment of Robert Ciampi, 63, on Orleans Street in East Boston on Nov. 1, according to the release.

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

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