Arizona Woman Caught Smuggling: Claudia Ibarra Had 1-Lb. Package Of Meth Surgically Removed From Pelvis
Claudia Ibarra was arrested after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents patted her down and felt something that they suspected was drugs. Upon being taken to a medical facility, doctors surgically removed 1 lb. of methamphetamine from Ibarra's pelvic region.
"When they were patting her down, they realized there was something down there," said spokeswoman Teresa Small.
Ibarra was trying to cross the border from Mexico into Arizona. She was stopped because "she was exhibiting signs of potential drug smuggling," according to the Associated Press. She was asked to remove her pants and, when she obliged, one officer said he could see a piece of plastic protruding from her groin area. "At that time, Ibarra admitted to having a package of methamphetamine concealed inside of her body," the complaint states.
The methamphetamine was wrapped in black tape and a condom and inserted into Ibarra's body (likely through her vagina). Doctors successfully removed a 1-lb. package of methamphetamine from her body.
Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that is made illegally using over-the-counter ingredients. Some ingredients in methamphetamine include fertilizer, lye, drain cleaner, and lithium from batteries, to name a few. The drug's chemical structure affects a user's central nervous system. It can be smoked, snorted, eaten, or injected. Users experience an immediate rush, or "high," that many consider quite pleasurable. The problem with meth, though, is that it is extremely dangerous and highly addictive.
Methamphetamine users commonly suffer from anxiety, paranoia, confusion, and insomnia. In severe cases, hypothermia, convulsions, increased heart rate, and even death have been reported. Meth addiction is one of the hardest substance abuse problems to overcome. Those trying to quit experience depression, fatigue, paranoia, and intense craving of the drug.
For those reasons, methamphetamine is illegal in the United States. The FBI and DEA have been cracking down on domestic methamphetamine laboratories in a big way lately. But, because it is relatively cheap to make and sell, meth is also a drug that is in high demand. That is why some, like Ibarra, resort to smuggling it into the country.
After the incident, Ibarra is facing two federal drug charges.