In 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents suspected a New Mexico woman was carrying drugs and began a humiliating and controversial search of her body
that lasted for more than six hours:
"During the car ride to the Medical Center, Ms. Doe asked if the agents had a warrant," the lawsuit said. "One of them responded that they did not need a warrant."
While handcuffed to an examination table, the woman was searched again by both officers and Cabanillas and Parsa. She was given a laxative and had a bowel movement in a portable toilet in front of both officers, the lawsuit said.
Then the woman's abdomen was X-rayed, but there were no signs of drugs or any other contraband in the woman's body. A speculum was used to probe her vagina and Parsa's fingers were used to inspect both her vagina and rectum while the door to the examining room was left open, the lawsuit said.
At this point the lawsuit claims, "Ms. Doe felt that she was being treated less than human, like an animal."
The last test was a CT scan of the woman's abdomen and pelvis, which resulted in no evidence of illegal activity being found.
With the help of the ACLU, the unidentified woman sued the hospital, which has now
settled the matter:
The University Medical Center of El Paso and emergency room physicians paid a New Mexico Woman over a controversial cavity search incident.
As KFOX14 previously reported, the woman claimed to have been illegally cavity-searched at a hospital while in the custody of Customs and Border Protection officers.
The settlement awarded the 54-year-old woman $1.1 million for the cavity searches, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and Texas.
Her case isn't over just yet:
The document states two unknown CBP supervisor agents, and two other agents identified as Portillo and Herrera, were not part of the settlement.
The woman's claims against the officers remains pending in federal court, officials said.