Yanira Maldonado, a 42-year-old mother from Arizona who was arrested in Mexico on May 22, 2013 and held in jail for allegedly smuggling drugs, was released from the jail in Nogales, Mexico on May 30, 2013 after a court reviewed key evidence, including video footage.
The family's lawyer in Nogales, Jose Francisco Benitez Paz, said a judge determined Thursday that Maldonado was no longer a suspect and all allegations against her were dropped.
U.S. politicians portrayed her as a victim of a corrupt judicial system and demanded her release with Arizona congressmen saying they were working closely with Mexican authorities.
Maldonado was arrested by the Mexican military on May 22, 2013 after they found nearly 12 pounds of pot under her seat during a security checkpoint.
Benitez noted that it was a fairly sophisticated smuggling effort that included packets of drugs attached to the seat bottoms with metal hooks - a task that would have been impossible for a passenger. He said witness testimony and the surveillance video showed Yanira Maldonado was innocent.
Gary Maldonado said he was originally arrested after the pot was found under his wife's bus seat, but after Yanira Maldonado begged the soldiers to allow her to come along to serve as a translator, the military officials decided to release him and arrest her instead. He said authorities originally demanded $5,000 for his wife's release, but the bribe fell through.
A personal photo of Yanira Maldonado and her husband Gary Maldonado.
A personal photo of Yanira Maldonado and her husband Gary Maldonado.
The arrest of Yanira Maldonado has prompted outrage in the U.S. among politicians and her family members, who say she was framed when her bus was stopped at a military checkpoint May 22, 2013 and authorities found nearly 12 pounds of marijuana under her seat.
A personal photo of Yanira Maldonado and her husband Gary Maldonado.