Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — A rancher and his wife are facing federal drug charges after allegedly returning to the U.S. from Mexico on Sunday at the Santa Teresa, New Mexico Port of Entry. Court records show Federico Rocha Lucero and Veronica Solano stated they were going home to Albuquerque, after visiting relatives and staying at a ranch Rocha owns in Durango, Mexico. Border officers sent the travelers and their pickup to a secondary inspection area, where a drug-sniffing dog alerted its handlers to possible contraband in the rear seats of the Ram pickup. The officers found 12 plastic wrapped bundles containing a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine. The bundles held 23.3 pounds of cocaine. The wife volunteered to agents that her husband has a criminal record and a pending court date in Albuquerque.
