(KTLA) – A singer-songwriter from Van Nuys, California and her fitness influencer friend may be facing federal charges after they were arrested in Alabama last week while allegedly trafficking more than 200 pounds of cocaine, according to reports.
Racquelle Dolores Anteola, 34, of Van Nuys and Melissa Dufour, 36, of Miramar, Florida, were arrested early Thursday while driving on Interstate 10 in Mobile County, Alabama, according to local media outlet Lagniappe.
Anteola, who performs under the name Rahky, is a singer and rapper based in Los Angeles, according to her Instagram profile.
Dufour, who goes by @melimacbarbie_on Instagram, is a fitness model and the owner and designer of a clothing brand called Sexy Sweats.
Sheriff’s officials told Lagniappe that the women were driving from Houston to Atlanta in a Ford Expedition with “hidden compartments” that contained 217 pounds of cocaine valued at about $3 million.
“The vehicle’s back seat was modified with a steel aftermarket compartment,” according to Lagniappe’s report. “The SUV’s floor had also been lowered and welded back together to provide storage room. The second compartment was located in the back of the SUV, where the side panels were hollowed out.”
The women were taken into custody by the MCSO and U.S. Border Patrol.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly attempting to take the women into custody to charge them at the federal level.
As of Thursday afternoon, the women are being held at Mobile County Metro Jail on cocaine trafficking charges, records show. Nexstar reached out to authorities to find out if either one had hired a lawyer, but didn’t immediately hear back.
