Woman sentenced for smuggling meth into the U.S.

TUCSON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A 34-year-old woman was sentenced to 45 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and pleaded guilty to Importation of Methamphetamine.

Emma Encinas-Obregon of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico entered the U.S. from Mexico through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales on October 19, 2022.

The Attorney's Office said she was driving a 2011 Audi A4 and concealed inside the vehicle were 50 packages containing 23 kilograms of methamphetamines.

Encinas-Obregon admitted to smuggling drugs into the U.S. on eight separate occasions since August 2022, said the Attorney's Office.

Every time she entered the U.S., she would leave her car while shopping, and members of a criminal organization would take the drugs from her vehicle.

The 34-year-old woman was paid about $2,000 each time she smuggled drugs from Mexico into the U.S.