Tonya Couch, Mother of ‘Affluenza Teen,' Deported to U.S.: Officials

A Mexican official said the mother of young U.S. fugitive Ethan Couch has been deported to the United States.

The National Immigration Institute official said Tonya Couch left late Wednesday afternoon on a flight from Guadalajara, Mexico, to Los Angeles. The person was not authorized to discuss the case and revealed the information on condition of anonymity.

A law enforcement source close to the investigation also told NBC News that Couch was being flown back to LA.

The Mexican official said she was sent home because immigration authorities did not receive a judge's injunction like the one that temporarily blocked the deportation of her son.

Authorities say the 18-year-old Couch, who used "affluenza" as a defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck in Texas in 2013, fled with his mother to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as prosecutors investigated whether he had violated his probation. Both were detained Monday.

The teenager is remaining in Mexico pending a hearing.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us