Mum of North East woman accused of smuggling £3.5m of cocaine into US says 'truth will come out'

Kim Hall, 28, is accused of bringing two suitcases containing 43 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico to Chicago's O'Hare airport, where she was arrested by Homeland Security officials

The mother of Middlesbrough beautician Kim Hall, who is set to face trial in the US for allegedly attempting to smuggle £3.5 million worth of cocaine into the country, is convinced of her daughter's innocence and anticipates her release from jail.

The 28-year-old stands accused of carrying two suitcases filled with 43 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico to Chicago's O'Hare airport, where she was detained by Homeland Security officials on charges of intentionally trying to import the drugs into the United States.

While being held at Cook County Jail in Illinois, one of America's largest detention centres and former host to infamous inmates like mobster Al Capone and serial killer John Wayne Gacy, Hall has maintained that she believed she was transporting cash from property deals and did not know what was really inside the suitcases. Her mother, Tracy, 58, told MailOnline: "The truth will come out, we are certain that Kim will be able to tell the real story in time."

Alongside Hall's sister Stephanie, the family is anxiously waiting for more information and has described the situation as "horrendous", according to a report by the Mirror.

Friends have voiced concerns about Hall's well-being in the jail, which saw 18 deaths in 2023—a number noted by Injustice Watch as the highest since 2013. A close family friend shared their grave worries with MailOnline, stating: "Everyone is beside themselves with worry over Kim's safety in that prison."

"The thought of that sweet, shy, timid girl locked up in a place like that is unbearable. No one could believe it when word got out that Kim had been arrested on drugs charges, you couldn't have picked a person less likely to be involved in something like that.", reports Teesside Live.

"She's a lovely hard working girl with her own business who has never been in trouble with the law in her life. After she left school she went to work in bars in Salou for a while and although she enjoyed it she really missed her family."

"She worships her mum and dad and is very close to them. She likes to be close to home and I can't imagine what she must be going through now, stuck so far away at the other side of the world."

"The only thing she's guilty of is being stupid and naïve". Her dad John, 59, said she had met the men, who claimed they were property developers, on an earlier trip to Portugal.

They invited her to stay with them and then offered her a free holiday, but allegedly coerced her taking two suitcases home which she claims they had packed, and that she thought contained $250,000 in cash.

John opened up to The Sun, recounting: "She's not a drug smuggler. She was told that it would be money she was carrying. They got her phone and threatened her family and that's why she did it. She'd been to Portugal with a friend and met people over there who contacted her when she was back saying they were into real estate in Mexico and she could go for a free holiday."

He further explained: "Her friend declined but she said she would go. She's never been into trouble, nothing at all. She's had a good upbringing and has always worked for her money. The only thing she's guilty of is being stupid and being naïve."

The ordeal has become a nightmare for 28 year old Kim, as after her arrest in August, she was slapped with charges for unlawful possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver. With the staggering amount of drugs found, she is potentially facing a sentence of 15-60 years due to the Class X Felonies involved.

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Kim is currently detained in Chicago as she prepares for a trial that might not commence until next year. Her worried family has already spent £28,000 on legal help, expressing deep concern for both her physical state and her mental health.

John shared his family's distress: "For the first few weeks, you couldn't speak to her for the tears. She said: 'You don't understand what they were threatening me with'. That's as much as we can get out of her. She's petrified. Without a shadow of a doubt she was forced into carrying this stuff back. And I'm not just saying that to try and protect my daughter. I'm telling you that as a father who knows a daughter inside out."

A spokeswoman from the Cook County court confirmed: "Her next appearance is on November 13."

US Customs and Border Protection reports reveal the staggering quantities of cocaine smuggled annually into America – with drug enforcement officers intercepting 442,706kg and 318,875kg in 2021 and 2022. The figures stood at 367,409kg and 285,763kg in 2023 and 2024 respectively, thwarting entry into the US.