Amanda LaRoque, a Raleigh, North Carolina woman being held on drug charges and facing 15 to 25 years in prison in Honduras posted a video to her Facebook page on Tuesday thanking supporters for the help. The video also showed LaRoque being escorted by Honduras police into a vehicle.
“I just want everybody to know that I am well, I have been to the hospital, they gave me an IV, I just got overcome by the heat and I’m doing fine,” she says in the video while holding a water bottle in her hand and with her T-shirt soaked by sweat or water. “The police have been very good here, and the locals and the expats have brought us so, so many supplies. They brought us coolers full of ice and drinks, and toilet paper and tooth brushes and dresses, and chips and fans for the room, the locals and the expat community has been incredible and the local police have been very cooperative and we are doing OK.”
You can read more about Amanda LaRoque and her situation here.
Brandon LaRoque, Amanda’s husband, flew down to the island of Roatan Monday and has been posting updates about her situation on her Facebook page. Amanda LaRoque, 51, has been in custody since Sunday, when she was searched and then detained at the airport while trying to fly back home.
LaRoque said she was detained at an airport while on her way back home from a trip to the island of Roatan to look at houses for a planned vacation home purchase. She said in the video she was carrying a can safe used by tourists to hide money and jewelry while on the beach and airport security asked to inspect it. They found the can was empty and then cut into the lining, she and her husband said.
“They took her in a back room. They cut it open, and apparently the lining has concrete in it so it helps weigh it so it feels like a full can of Arizona Iced Tea,” Brandon LaRoque said in a Facebook video he posted Sunday. “They think that concrete or whatever it is – sealant – is actually cocaine.”
FacebookAmanda LaRoque with Honduran police officers and pictured in her Facebook profile photo.
Her husband, Brandon, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, “They did tell us today that if she is found guilty on this, the term will be from 15-25 years. While we know we did nothing wrong; this is still beyond scary. Please keep sharing & try to get our politicians involved. We really need a political hero!”
She saw a magistrate on Monday, but “nothing changed,” her husband wrote.
“The next hearing will be Friday. They are trying to put her back in the cage; but our lawyer got a court order for her to be seen by a doctor. We have been waiting at the police station for over 5 hours to see the doctor, no luck yet,” he wrote. “Hopefully he will move her to the hospital. If not, we will both be heading to the cage. Also, the police do not provide you with food here. You have to give them $ to go get it, water, etc. or have someone else go get it. We have not eaten since yesterday. Nowhere around here to get food. The areas of town we are in are terrible! Please keep spreading the word and thank you for everything you have done.”
You can read more about her situation and get updates about Amanda LaRoque at the link below:
