A Spanish woman and her daughter who were on a layover at LAX ran into trouble with the authorities recently. The pair of international travelers is accused of federal drug smuggling crimes and each woman faces five to 40 years in prison for their stopover in Los Angeles, if convicted of the charges.

The two women had arrived at LAX from Spain, via flights through Panama and Columbia, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Several pouches of salad dressing and chocolate and caramel syrup caught the eye of federal agents while the women were waiting at the airport for a flight to Australia, according to federal authorities.

Apparently, a customs officer thought that the pouches of culinary accoutrements felt too thick to the federal agent. Agents apparently cut into the bags of food and found clear plastic bags of a white paste inside. In all, authorities claim that they seized 10.3 pounds of paste that has tested positive for cocaine.

Federal agents interrogated the women. Authorities claim the women say that they were offered 10,000 Euros--the equivalent to roughly $13,297-to transport the drugs from Columbia to Australia. The younger woman says that she transported drugs internationally at least once before for the same man, according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint.

Authorities say that the younger woman asked her mother to travel with her on the drug smuggling trip so that the daughter would not appear as suspicious to authorities. The mother and daughter reportedly told authorities that they agreed to carry the drugs in order to pay off mounting debts.

The two women are being held without bond on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Source Los Angeles Daily Breeze, "Mother-daughter team arrested at LAX for allegedly smuggling cocaine," Art Marroquin, Feb. 8, 2012