Sheriff: 17 kilograms of opium seized from passenger at O'Hare

A Minnesota woman faces multiple felony charges after a large amount of drugs, including 17 kilograms of opium, was found in her luggage over the weekend at O'Hare International Airport, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said Monday.

Khoua Vang, 49, of Walnut Grove, Minnesota, is charged with methamphetamine delivery, methamphetamine trafficking, possession of methamphetamine, controlled substance trafficking, and two counts of manufacture/deliver of a controlled substance, stemming from her arrest early Saturday.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies were contacted about 3:20 a.m. Saturday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for assistance with an arrest after agents found the opium along with more than 3,500 suspected methamphetamine pills in Vang's luggage.

She had landed at O'Hare's international terminal on a flight from South Korea, sheriff's police said. Her flight home to Minnesota had originated in Laos.

Vang appeared in court Sunday, when a judge set her bail at $100,000. She remained in custody Monday at the Cook County jail pending a May 13 court appearance.