Texas Woman Arrested for Drugs Near Plains Indicted

WICHITA, KAN. – A Texas woman who was arrested on a highway in Meade County, Kan., was indicted today on drug trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Dora Elizabeth Arteaga, 42, Houston, Texas, was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper stopped Arteaga April 14, 2019, near Plains, Kan. The indictment alleges officers found approximately 4.4 pounds of cocaine in a bag behind the driver’s seat.

If convicted, Arteaga will face a penalty of no less than five years and no more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.