US couple, 80 and 74, arrested after 155-kg cocaine bust at border

An elderly couple has been charged with federal drug trafficking after US authorities allegedly recovered more than 345 pounds of suspected cocaine hidden inside a trailer they were towing through an American Border Patrol checkpoint in South Texas.Luke David Brader, 80, and Susan Brader, 74, were stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias on July 1, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Luke was driving a white Dodge 2500 truck towing a white box trailer, while his wife, Susan, was in the passenger seat. During a routine immigration inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 alerted agents to the front wall of the trailer. The vehicle was then referred for a secondary inspection, where X-ray scans allegedly revealed a concealed compartment built into the trailer.According to the criminal complaint, agents recovered 134 packages of suspected cocaine weighing more than 345 pounds from the hidden compartment.The couple appeared in federal court on July 6 on charges of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. After waiving their right to a preliminary hearing, a judge found there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed and ordered that both remain in custody pending a detention hearing, court records showed.According to the complaint, Luke and Susan Brader later admitted to agents with the US Drug Enforcement Administration that they knew illegal narcotics were concealed inside the trailer.The complaint states that the couple "confessed to knowing about the illegal narcotics inside the trailer" and told investigators they expected to be paid between $5,000 and $10,000 for transporting the trailer to Houston. The Braders have been charged with possession of more than five kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.