A 28-year-old British woman from Middlesbrough, Kimberly Hall, is facing a potential 60-year prison sentence in the US after being arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle £3.5 million worth of cocaine. Despite the serious charges, Kimberly’s father, John, believes his daughter is “only guilty of stupidity” and claims she was forced into carrying the drugs.
Kimberly was taken into custody by Homeland Security officials while she was waiting for a connecting flight to Manchester after a trip to Cancun, Mexico. Authorities found 43kg of cocaine in two suitcases, leading to Kimberly’s arrest on charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver. The amount of cocaine discovered puts Kimberly’s offense in the top tier for sentencing, a Class X felony, which carries a punishment of 15 to 60 years in prison.
According to her father, Kimberly had been offered a free trip to Cancun by two men she met during a previous trip to Portugal. The men, who claimed to be property developers, contacted her after she returned to the UK and invited her to Mexico, promising to cover all expenses. Kimberly accepted the offer, unaware that her holiday would take a terrible turn.
Her father claims that while in Cancun, Kimberly was coerced into carrying the bags filled with cocaine, believing she was transporting money. He stated, “They got her phone and threatened her family, and that’s why she did it.” He added, “She said, ‘You don’t understand what they were threatening me with,’ and that’s as much as we can get out of her.” Her family is now fighting desperately to secure her release and ensure her well-being as she awaits trial in a Chicago prison.
The legal battle could last over a year, with Kimberly’s trial not set to begin until late 2025. Her family has already spent £28,000 on a local attorney and is deeply concerned about her physical and mental health. Kimberly’s family hopes that her story will serve as a cautionary tale about the risks of trusting strangers and getting involved in suspicious offers.
Kimberly’s case is reminiscent of other high-profile drug smuggling incidents involving British citizens abroad, such as the “Peru Two” scandal in 2013. Two young British women were caught trying to smuggle cocaine out of Peru and claimed they were coerced into it, a defense frequently used in such cases. Kimberly’s family remains hopeful for a positive outcome as they anxiously wait for her next court appearance scheduled for November 13th.
