A British woman arrested after customs officers found 43 kilograms of cocaine in her luggage at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport will be able to return home in about two years after agreeing to a plea deal, a court filing and family members said.
Kim Hall, 29, of Middlesbrough, admitted possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced in an Illinois court to six years in prison, a punishment that will be halved under U.S. federal rules. With about a year already served on remand, Hall is expected to be released and deported in roughly 24 months, her family said.
Hall was stopped on Aug. 18, 2024, while changing flights at O’Hare. Homeland Security officers described the inspection as random and discovered the cocaine packed into two suitcases. Authorities have said the haul was worth about £15 million.
Prosecutors initially charged Hall with possession with intent to distribute, an offense that can carry decades behind bars. The six‑year term she received after admitting the charge will be reduced under federal rules that account for credit for time served and possible good‑conduct adjustments.
Her father, John Hall, 60, a scaffolder, said the family was relieved by the outcome. "We are over the moon. We feel we are the luckiest people on the planet — it's better than winning any lottery," he told reporters. "She is not a criminal and never has been."
Hall has told media she was coerced into carrying the bags after a holiday in Cancún, Mexico, alleging two British men forced her to transport the suitcases and threatened her with a handgun. In interviews last year, she said she had been dragged off a bed by her hair and that one of the men said, "I'll f***ing shoot you." She told reporters she had pleaded with officers to call her parents when she was detained and insisted she did not knowingly transport drugs.
Brandon Carter, her lawyer, said Hall is not a U.S. citizen and that keeping her in the United States served no public interest. Following completion of her sentence, Hall is expected to be deported to the United Kingdom.
Court records and media reports also indicate that in May authorities alleged Hall attempted to secure deportation to evade prosecution by presenting herself to immigration and Customs and Border Protection officers while on electronic monitoring. The effort was unsuccessful, and a judge revoked her electronic monitoring and ordered her returned to custody.
Hall’s case drew attention because of the size of the seizure and the potentially lengthy sentence she faced when first charged. Authorities said the discovery followed a routine inspection at an international airport, a regular focus of U.S. customs and homeland security efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking.
With the plea deal finalised, Hall will serve the remainder of her reduced sentence in the American prison system before deportation. Her family said they will begin planning for her return and for efforts to help her rebuild her life after release.