ATLANTA, GA — Irma Elvira Cruz, a 60-year-old woman from Mexico, has been charged with conspiracy to unlawfully import cocaine into the United States and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The charges were announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia on Tuesday.
Cruz, also known as “Madre,” was identified as an associate of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated between 2013 and 2016. She was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 14, 2017. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Cruz was involved in a scheme that imported large quantities of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico, and into the U.S.
Her role within the organization included conducting quality control testing of multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine originating from Colombia, ensuring their purity before shipment to Central America and the U.S. Specifically, Cruz was responsible for testing a large cocaine shipment destined for Atlanta.
In September 2015, Cruz traveled to a stash house in Costa Rica where she tested the cocaine’s purity. Law enforcement authorities intercepted vehicles driven by Cruz’s associates as they left the stash house, seizing 100 kilograms of cocaine. A subsequent search of the stash house resulted in the seizure of an additional 221 kilograms.
Cruz’s involvement in the operation has led to her facing serious charges, which include conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine with intent to distribute.
