Porto Alegre court sentences woman for international drug trafficking

A 24-year-old woman has been sentenced by the 11th Federal Court of Porto Alegre for international drug trafficking. The conviction stems from a May 2022 incident at Salgado Filho Airport, where she was caught attempting to board a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, with 5.12 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a false bottom of her luggage.

The drugs were discovered by a sniffer dog during a routine inspection. Investigations by the Federal Public Ministry revealed the cocaine was transported from Balneário Camboriú through Curitiba. The defendant reportedly accepted the task for a promised payment of R$ 25,000 and had received 700 euros in advance.

While the defense argued she acted as an unwitting “mule” due to financial hardship, telemetric data contradicted her testimony regarding the location of the drug handoff. The judge noted a lack of remorse, citing her social media activity following her provisional release, where she allegedly boasted about her involvement in crime. The sentence includes five years and six months in prison under an initially semi-open regime, along with fines and the forfeiture of 700 euros.