Courts / Dublin / Report
Guatemalan mother had shirts soaked in cocaine
Summary
Keila Pineda Lopez, 29, was caught at Dublin Airport with 20 shirts soaked in cocaine, valued at €179,550. She pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply. Gardaí said the shirts could be chemically processed to extract the drug at the destination, but Lopez had no knowledge of this. She claimed she was offered €3,000 to transport the drugs from Brazil and that she faced threats. Garda Michael Higgins noted a mix of inducement and coercion. Lopez cooperated fully, admitted guilt, and expressed remorse. Her defence highlighted her role as a young mother, limited English, and coercion. Judge Melanie Greally, considering her plea, cooperation, and circumstances, imposed a three‑year custodial sentence, deviating from the typical ten‑year minimum for the offence. The sentence is to run from the date she entered custody.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Guatemalan mother had shirts soaked in cocaine. Charges or matters: possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on November 22, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 22, 2017 Incident
- 2018-02-23 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on November 22, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Greally said the circumstances of the case allowed her to depart from the presumptive minimum sentence of ten years applicable to this offence and she imposed a three year sentence to date from when Lopez went into custody.
Places mentioned
Topics
Airport Incidents Drugs Stage Sentence
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