While sipping margaritas and soaking up the sun in the Mexican paradise of Cancun, Kim Hall was having the time of her life.
But the dream holiday ended in a nightmare that would see her spend the rest of her years behind bars – after agreeing to take home two suitcases for some British men.
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Brit Kim Hall now faces 60 years behind bars, but the terrified 28-year-old insists she is innocent and was forced to carry the bags at gunpointCredit: Doug Seeburg 
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A tearful Kim is pictured in a police mugshot after she was caught with two cases of cocaine at Chicago’s O’Hare AirportCredit: The Mega Agency 
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Kim’s father John flew to the US for an emotional reunion. He has since criticized the British government for not doing enough to help his daughterCredit: Doug Seeburg
They told her the bags only contained cash, but she watched anyway horror when Homeland Security officials opened them during a random check and revealed 43 kg cocaine – worth a whopping £15 million.
A stunned Kim collapsed in tears as she was handcuffed and taken to jail.
She now faces 60 years behind bars, but the terrified 28-year-old insists she is innocent and was forced to carry the bags at gunpoint.
Kim cried as she told The Sun: “I’m not a bad person. I’ve never had any problems in my life and I’m not guilty of what they’re accusing me of.
“They held a gun to my head and threatened to shoot me.”
“I am not a drug trafficker and I will fight with every bone in my body to prove my innocence.
Beautician Kim also begged the British government for help as she spoke out for her latest court hear tomorrow.
She told how she was offered a free holiday Mexico by two British men she befriended on a previous holiday Portugal and they said they had real estate interests in Central America.
‘I was framed’
Near the end of her weeklong trip to Cancun, the men asked her to take home two suitcases, which they said were filled with $250,000 in cash.
Kim, van Middelsbroughsaid: “I agreed because there was no reason not to. It was normal money and I saw nothing wrong with it.
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“I had no idea this would pass medications.
“But when I was about to return home, things got messy.
The two boys started threatening me. They were annoyed because they thought I was trying not to take the suitcases. One of them dragged me off the bed by my hair and held a gun to my head
“There was a confusion about the times my flight was scheduled to depart and I missed it.
“I panicked because I had booked beauty work and my mother was expecting me at home. She was on the phone and asked, “What’s going on?”
“I then missed a second flight because I didn’t have a flight Esta (electronic US visa).
“The two boys started threatening me. They were annoyed because they thought I was trying not to take the suitcases.
“One of them dragged me out of bed her and held a gun to my head.
“He said, ‘I’ll fucking shoot you.’ It was the most frightening thing I have ever experienced.
“I shouted at them to let me go. I thought: I’m going to die if I don’t have this money with me.
“In the beginning they were the nicest people, but now they had taken my phone and my passport from me.”
Kim finally caught her third flight, but when she landed at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on August 18 to connect to London, officials conducted a random check because they were suspicious that she was carrying two bags.
She said: “As I was going through security they opened one of the suitcases.
“The man said to me, ‘What are you trying to bring in?’
“I looked in the suitcase and thought: that’s not money.
“It looked like papier-mâché and was covered in some kind of paint oil. Mine next I thought: is that cheese?
“They started tearing the suitcases apart, handcuffed me and took me to a room.
“I knew then that I had been framed. I was in shock.
“It was such a bizarre feeling, like I was looking at someone else in one film.
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Kim is now under house arrest and forced to wear an electronic ankle braceletCredit: Doug Seeburg 
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The Brit was imprisoned in Cook County Jail, where Al Capone and serial killer John Wayne Gacy were imprisonedCredit: Doug Seeburg
“I couldn’t breathe and had a panic attack. When the full realization of what it all meant sank in, I cried and cried.
“I begged them to let me call my mom and dad.
“I was hysterical and could barely breathe. I was stunned and thought: is this really happening?
“I was given the paperwork saying I would be deported the next day, but then I was told I was being taken into police custody. Police.
“I was so upset and confused that I asked an officer, ‘Does America still have the death penalty?’
“He laughed and said I had seen too many movies but I had no idea what was going to happen to me.
“I finally called my mom and her screams sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. It still haunts me to this day.
“Her reaction made me feel ten times worse. The police asked if I wanted a lawyer and I replied that I was telling the truth, so I don’t need one.
“I really thought that by being honest, they would let me go home.”
Instead, she was booked into the Cook County Jail, where previous inmates were also held Al Capone and serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
‘In urgent need of help’
She was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and intent to deliver.
Because the amount she was allegedly found with exceeds 900 grams, the crime falls into the highest category of sentencing – a Class X felony punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison.
She has pleaded not guilty and will appear at the Chicago courthouse tomorrow, when a judge is expected to set a trial date.
Kim is under house arrest and is allowed out two days a week, but must wear two electronic tags.
I couldn’t breathe and had a panic attack. When the full realization of what it all meant hit me, I cried and cried
The Sun was there on one of those days out when she had an emotional reunion with dad John, 59 – the first family member she has seen since her arrest almost three months ago.
After hugging his daughter, John responded to the lack of support from the government.
He said: “If a British citizen is in trouble abroad, your first step is to call the British embassy and expect support.
“We called and eventually I was put through to a support team, but they said they were not allowed to get involved in criminal investigations.
“I said, ‘She really needs help.’ I explained all this to them and all they did was give me a list of charities to contact.
“Nobody helped. I am disgusted with the British government.”
John, who is paying for Kim’s lawyer, added: “It’s heartbreaking to see her like this. It’s a situation no father would ever think he would find himself in.
‘We will do everything we can to bring her home. She is innocent.”
While in pre-trial detention, Kim dreams of becoming a theater performer makeup artist is now in tatters, diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
And she said her psychiatrist thinks she was in the middle of a manic episode when she agreed to carry the suitcases.
She added: “Being diagnosed was a hard pill to swallow, but it was also a relief to know because I thought I had gone crazy.
“I believe there has been a mental illness for some time, but it has become very serious in the last three to four years.
“It definitely leaves you with reduced thinking capacity and you don’t really see the consequences of something bad that’s going to happen.
‘There’s no way I would do that consciously transport medications any form.”
In response to the family’s criticism, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting a British woman on bail in the US and are in contact with local authorities.”
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John, who is paying for Kim’s lawyer, said: ‘It’s heartbreaking to see her like this. It’s a situation no father would ever think he would find himself in.”Credit: Doug Seeburg 
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She told how she was offered a free holiday to Mexico by two British men she befriended on a previous trip to PortugalCredit: Alamy
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