http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19990807/ts/drugs_colombia_2.htmlTitle: U.S. Anti-Drug Official's Wife Faces Drug Charge
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U.S. Anti-Drug Official's Wife Faces Drug Charge
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The wife of a U.S. Army officer fighting drug trafficking in Colombia has been accused of smuggling 15.8 pounds of cocaine into the United States, possibly unwittingly, the New York Times reported Saturday.
Laurie Anne Hiett, wife of Col. James Hiett who headed U.S. military operations in Colombia until last week, was released by a New York court on $150,000 bail Thursday.
She is accused of sending six packages of pure cocaine with a street value of as much as $230,000 to addresses in New York City through the embassy mail service, identifying the contents on U.S. customs forms as books, candy, a T-shirt, candles or coffee, the Times said.
Hiett, 36, denied any wrongdoing through her lawyer, Paul Lazarus, the newspaper said.
The allegations come as the United States has pledged to boost support for the drug war in Colombia and faces accusations of mixing fighting drugs with battling rebels.
Hiett has admitted mailing the packages, which she marked with her own name and own return address, but said that she did so at the request of Jorge Alfonso Ayala, an embassy chauffeur for the past 15 years who is now being sought by Colombian authorities, the newspaper said.
She said that she didn't know what was in the packages.
Ayala, who is Colombian, told investigators in June that Hiett ``abused cocaine,'' and that he helped her buy it, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Federal Court in Brooklyn which was cited by the Times.
The complaint said that Hiett became ``extremely agitated'' when told of the driver's accusation, insisted that the packages came from Ayala's accomplices but refused to say more, adding, ''I'm afraid they'll kill me,'' the Times said.
In addition to Hiett, two residents of the New York borough of Queens, Timla Arcila, 61, and her brother Hernan Arcila, 53, were named in the complaint as receiving the packages. Timla Arcila was arraigned Thursday and released on bail but no federal charges were filed against Hernan Arcila, who was jailed on an unrelated charge.
A Colombian official told the Times that it was not unusual for foreign diplomats to help employees by mailing letters abroad through the U.S. embassy mail service since it is more efficient than Colombia's. But any materials sent are usually shown to the diplomat, the official said.
But investigators said in their criminal complaint that Mrs. Hiett traveled to the United States several times in April and May and alleged that she did so to help set up a smuggling conspiracy.
Four of the packages sent between April 13 and May 26 went to the Arcila's home address, and two to mail drops allegedly set up by Timla Arcila.
Col. Hiett headed U.S. military anti-drug operations in Colombia until last week, when he stepped aside voluntarily.
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