A Tucson, Arizona woman has admitted her guilt in a federal court after she was apprehended while transporting 50 kilograms of cocaine in a rented moving truck from Arizona to Ohio.
Andrea Celaya-Rodriguez, 28, has admitted to committing the offense of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. She has acknowledged her involvement in transporting a substantial quantity of drugs across state lines.
Court records indicate that on March 22, 2024, Ohio State Highway Patrol pulled over Celaya-Rodriguez while she was driving a Penske box truck on Interstate 70 in Madison County. It is worth noting that she had rented the truck a few days prior in Tucson and was expected to return it to Arizona within four days.
During the traffic stop, officers were alerted by a police K-9 to the possible presence of narcotics. This prompted them to conduct a thorough search of the vehicle. Among the items discovered in the cargo area were a sectional couch, a suitcase, and a large produce bin which was concealed by a blanket. Inside this bin, officers uncovered three duffel bags that contained a total of 50 bricks of cocaine, each individually wrapped.
Celaya-Rodriguez confessed to DEA agents that she had been transporting the drugs from Arizona to New York, admitting that she had received $50,000 in exchange for her services. She explained that she had met a man in Mexico a mere two weeks prior who had subsequently handed her the drugs on a remote road in Arizona. Before loading the cocaine into the truck for transportation, she carefully repackaged it into shoeboxes.
As part of her plea deal, prosecutors have suggested that she be sentenced to 33 to 41 months in prison. The final determination on her sentencing will be made by the court at a later date.