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An American mother who tried to smuggle cocaine into New Zealand was apparently shown a “disturbing” video showing the murder of a family member to force her to commit the crime.
Jamie Hudson Mendez, 44, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court in July of importing about 2.5 kilograms of cocaine into New Zealand and possession of cocaine for supply. On Thursday, Judge Stephen O’Driscoll sentenced her to six years and nine months in jail.
The judge had previously indicated a starting point of 11 years in prison but, upon reading the summary of the events, said that a “disturbing” video allegedly depicting the murder of Méndez’s sister-in-law, who is on the Méndez after his arrest, suggested “pressure and coercion” from a network of drug traffickers to smuggle cocaine.
Text messages found on Méndez’s phone showed that he was negotiating payment for carrying the drugs; allegedly demanded $ 15,000.
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Mendez’s attorney, Pip Hall QC, said the video had caused significant emotional distress for Mendez and that he was now suffering from flashbacks and “partial symptoms” of post-traumatic stress disorder.
He said that Méndez, who appeared via audiovisual link and intended to return to the United States when he could, was receiving trauma counseling for the problems and courses in prison to reduce his risk of recidivism.
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Jamie Hudson Méndez was arrested at the Christchurch Airport in September 2019 after she tried to smuggle 2.5 kilograms of cocaine into New Zealand.
The court heard that in September last year she flew out of Arizona and was on vacation in Africa for 12 days.
It then traveled to New Zealand via Singapore, landing at Christchurch International Airport on September 23.
She checked a suitcase and carried a backpack as carry-on, which contained her personal items.
His suitcase was searched after New Zealand customs officials noticed inconsistencies on the X-ray screen. Inside the suitcase were five padded jackets containing 2.5 kg of cocaine, with a street value of $ 875,000.
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Jamie Hudson-Mendez on his wedding day in 1996 with his mother, Kathleen Hudson, on the right, and her sisters, on the left.
Judge O’Driscoll said Mendez suffered from a host of chronic health problems, including seizures, high blood pressure, asthma, low back pain, and significant arthritis in both knees.
He said all of this, including Mendez’s good behavior while in custody, his early guilty plea and the lack of family support in New Zealand, was taken into account in Thursday’s sentencing.
New Zealand Customs prosecutor Chris White said that while there was no evidence that Méndez received money for her smuggling, it was most likely due to her being caught at the border.
Mendez’s mother, Kathleen Hudson, previously said Stuff that until a few years ago her daughter had an apparently normal life.
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Jamie Hudson Mendez was a wife, mother and caregiver before she became involved in smuggling illegal drugs across borders.
He had an uneventful childhood, married his high school sweetheart, worked as a caregiver, and had a son.
She was married for more than a decade before divorcing in 2012.
This most recent crime is not the first time that Méndez has become involved in the dark underground movement of transnational drug trafficking.
In 2018, she was imprisoned in France when she arrived in Paris on a flight from South Africa with heroin in her luggage.
After spending 13 months in a French prison, she was released on June 17 last year and sent back to the United States.
O’Driscoll said the previous two convictions would mean that “every law enforcement agency in the world will now have it on their radar.”
