A Tucson woman released from federal detention in February after smuggling enough fentanyl in her vagina to produce more than 500,000 pain tablets pleaded no contest last week to a marijuana transportation charge from 2012.
Patricia Anna Guzman entered her plea March 10 at the Cochise County Superior Court and was immediately sentenced to two years in state prison. A no-contest plea means she does not admit guilt but accepts she will be convicted as if she was found guilty at trial of attempting to transport marijuana for sale in October 2012.
Guzman, 41, received credit toward her state sentence for one month spent in the Cochise County jail awaiting resolution of the charges initially filed with the Willcox Justice Court in May 2014. She was also ordered to pay a $1,830 fine.
Court records show the initial charges against Guzman were transportation of marijuana for sale, possession of heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her failure to appear in court for an October 2015 hearing resulted in the issuance of an arrest warrant.
The case remained open but inactive in Cochise County until Guzman was arrested last summer by the U.S. Border Patrol near Amado.
Federal court records show Guzman was riding in a vehicle which was referred for secondary inspection at the Interstate 19 USBP checkpoint on July 1, 2020. A pat-search revealed a bulge in her vaginal area, prompting a trip to a local hospital where an x-ray discovered two packages which Guzman eventually agreed to voluntarily remove.
The packages contained 57.2 grams of fentanyl, which is chemically similar to heroin but significantly more powerful. It also has a higher overdose potential not only for users, but also for those who conceal the drug on or in their body.
Guzman’s later admitted purchasing and smuggling the fentanyl from Mexico. The quantity was sufficient to produce 570,000 100-mcg buccal tablets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Patricia’s story is simply one of the many examples of individuals in this country that face serious difficulties in overcoming addiction to opiates,” Assistant Federal Public Defender Jamiel Allen told U. S. District Judge James Soto prior to sentencing. “After initially being prescribed oxycodone to treat her back pain, she found herself needing the prescription, not for her back pain but for the pain that not taking the pills created. When she could no longer obtain the pills, she found herself taking other substances to cope with the withdrawal symptoms.”
The plea deal approved by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Fellrath acknowledged Guzman’s criminal activity may have been motivated by her drug addiction, but he urged Soto to not ignore “the diffuse consequences” of her actions.
“While the defendant’s personal situation is a factor to be considered, it is not the only one,” Fellrath argued. “The defendant was involved in attempting to distribute tremendously dangerous and addictive drugs to the United States, putting families and lives at risk. Her actions had the potential to contribute to the ongoing drug epidemic in this nation.”
Soto sentenced Guzman to nearly eight months of incarceration followed by three years supervised release with the U.S. Probation Service. After credit for time served, Guzman was released from federal custody Feb. 3, allowing the Cochise County Attorney’s Office to proceed with the long-pending charges from 2012.
Public records show Guzman was booked into the Cochise County jail on Feb. 9. Her plea deal was part of the county’s early resolution process. Guzman now awaits transfer to the Arizona Department of Corrections