ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida woman has pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine that she carried inside a suitcase on a flight with intent to distribute it following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando.
Tonya Lynn Romero, 37, of Okahumpka, Florida, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is set for April 10, 2025.
According to the plea agreement, law enforcement conducted a narcotics interdiction operation at the Orlando International Airport, which resulted in a canine alerting to the presence of drugs in a suitcase that had been checked in Romero’s name. After Romero took possession of the luggage, law enforcement approached, and she provided consent to search the suitcase. Inside, law enforcement located over 13 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by HSI Orlando and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman.
HSI Tampa's area of responsibility, which includes 10 geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the 10 largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.
Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.