Two Aussie kids have been left stranded in the US after their mum was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle a smorgasbord of drugs into a US prison for her partner.
Leticia Verney, 41, was arrested on February 5 after a police dog allegedly alerted officers at Lewis Prison in Arizona to a package on her person.
Upon opening the package officers allegedly found 200 pills of fentanyl, seven grams of marijuana and 28 grams each of heroin and methamphetamine.
Verney is alleged to have travelled to the US with two of her six children on a holiday last year so she could see her partner she met online.
He is believed to be an inmate at Lewis Prison and was allegedly planned to be the recipient of the packages.
The children, aged seven and 12, have since been placed into the custody of the Arizona’s child protectives services after their mother was remanded in custody facing 19 charges.
The charges include eight counts of taking contraband into a correctional facility, one count of transporting/selling a dangerous drug, and two counts of transporting/selling narcotics.
A further eight federal charges will be brought before a Grand Jury.
Upon arriving at the prison to meet her partner, Verney was taken to the Sherriff’s office where it is alleged a police dog (K-9) alerted officers to the package.
The assortment of drugs allegedly found on Verney is ‘worth thousands of dollars on the streets, and potentially tens of thousands of dollars in a custody setting’ according to Chief Deputy Russ Skinner.
The father of the two children, Daniel Smith, was expecting the trio to return home from their trip in December and is now in a race against time to get his kids back to Australia.
He has been in contact with American officials who urged him to collect his children as soon as possible before they are placed into foster care.
‘Apparently it’s a lot harder to get them back if they are placed in care,’ Mr Smith told the West Australian.
The cost to fly himself and the children around the world is daunting to Mr Smith, who hasn’t been able to work after recently undergoing back surgery.
‘I’ve been digging deep to find the money to pay for an emergency passport and flights for both of them,’ he said.
‘The priority is to get them home right now, they’ve got no family there and I don’t know who they’re staying with.’
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson confirmed it they are in contact with the family.
‘The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman detained in Arizona,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Owing to our privacy obligations are unable to provide further comment.’
Verney is expected to appear in court for arraignment on February 20 while her trial will start on June 19.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
