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Osceola County inmate makes it through body scanner with drugs

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies said an Osceola County inmate made it past a body scanner at booking and into her jail cell with drugs and a syringe.

They found the contraband about 15 hours after taking Noemi Verdejo-Miguenes’ mug shot when correctional officers got a "tip from another inmate."

Staff found a syringe taped to Verdejo-Miguenes’ breast and five bags filled with pills and powder.

They were able to confirm the pills are Xanax and the powder "tested presumptive positive for cocaine." They could not identify an unknown brown powder substance.

Jail representatives say security video did not show any indication she shared it with any other inmates.

One had to go to an emergency room for an overdose.

Jail officials said a full staff of security officers have been hired solely to run the body scanner and that the new measure was implemented after the contraband incidents last year.

In the case of Verdejo-Miguenes, the staff said it used a hand wand, strip-searched her, and required her to pass through the body scanner, but she still made it in with the contraband.

The scans the machine picked up are being sent to the body scan manufacturer to determine if the drugs made it into the facility through operator error or machine malfunction.