Teen with meth strapped to body found at traffic stop, cops suspect human trafficking
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating a possible human and drug trafficking operation after officers found a 22-year-old California woman driving a 15-year-old with meth strapped to her body across the state.
Highway patrol troopers stopped the women for a traffic violation at the 49 mile marker of Interstate 70 in Lafayette County around noon on Tuesday according to Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Andrew Bell.
The 22-year-old, Brenda Alcaraz, was charged Wednesday with drug trafficking, endangering the welfare of child, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
During the stop, Bell said, the officers detected marijuana and, based on the women’s ages and stories believed there was more going on, Bell said.
The women allegedly told him they were traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast and were not related.
The officer called the 15-year-old’s mother who told him she thought her daughter was at school and had no idea who Alcaraz was, Bell said.
The women were taken into custody and questioned separately. At that point, Bell said, the 15 year old told officers she had 5.5 pounds of methamphetamine strapped to her abdomen.
The girl allegedly told police the drugs had been strapped to her since Oct. 26.
Bell said police believe the girl may have been offered some form of compensation for smuggling the drugs which he said could have led to continued exploitation of her.
Law enforcement is not considering charges against the 15-year-old, Bell said. She returned home with her mother.
Bell said police believe Alcaraz, the 22-year-old, was involved in a larger criminal enterprise.
“We don’t think the 22-year-old found the 5.5. pounds meth and the 15-year-old on her own,” Bell said.
The agency, Bell said, is working with federal law enforcement to determine the source of the human and drug trafficking efforts.
“It’s a spiderweb and routing at all different corners trying to get to the center of that spiderweb is extremely complicated,” Bell said.
These efforts, Bell said, would likely identify more victims of human trafficking.
“We want to recover those persons and get them back with their families,” Bell said.
