US residents Jailed In Mexico Claim Drugs Found In Car Weren’t Theirs

Last Wednesday’s morning commute for two Juarez residents turned out to be anything but a typical “hump” day.

The U.S citizens are now in a Mexican jail after they claim over 100 pounds of pot was planted in their car.

Forty-year-old Dr. Justus Lawrence Opot is a Kenyan-born naturalized U.S. citizen. His co-worker, 40-year-old Marisol Perez is also a U.S. citizen. Both now face drug charges after they say they handed over drugs they found – to Mexican federal police.

Doctor Opot says he’s not a drug runner.

He lives in Juarez, but works here at the mental health mental retardation center.

From an interview inside the Cereso prison, he says he discovered suspicious packages when put his gym bag in a co-worker’s trunk, “What I suggested to her, because it was her car, was the best thing to do is to take these things to the police.”

He says Marisol Perez drove to a federal police check point in Juarez.

“Everyday when I have my own car I pass through there when I’m going back home.”

Instead of crossing the Bridge of the Americas, “She went to tell the officer that there were some box in the car and she didn’t know what the boxes were.”

Moments later, they were arrested.

Mexican authorities wouldn’t comment, but U.S Customs and border protection sent us this statement:

“In general terms, it is not unusual for someone who is caught with contraband at a U.S. port of entry to claim no knowledge of the illegal goods.”

A friend of Opot and Perez – who did not want to go on camera – admitted their story might sound hard to believe but , “I would stick my neck out for them because they wouldn’t be involved with anything like this.”

She says she believes it, “Turning the drugs over to Mexican police is exactly what Marisol and Justus would do. That’s just them.”