FORT WORTH, Texas - A 33-year-old woman has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after authorities found about six pounds of cocaine in her luggage as she prepared to travel from DFW International Airport to Australia.
A Tarrant County jury found Virginia Alcaraz guilty Aug. 19 of manufacture or delivery of 400 grams or more of a controlled substance, according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office.
The case stemmed from Alcaraz's arrest at DFW Airport on March 29, 2025.
Prosecutors said Alcaraz was preparing to board a flight that would eventually take her to Sydney, Australia, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers searched her black duffel bag.
Inside, authorities discovered several flat bundles wrapped in black plastic. The packages contained approximately six pounds of cocaine.
Alcaraz was arrested and later prosecuted by the Tarrant County District Attorney's Narcotics Unit.
Following her conviction, the jury sentenced Alcaraz to 16 years in prison.
The investigation involved U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety.
