Iowa Park, Texas – A 34-year-old woman, Henna Havila Martinez, is facing serious charges after sending bibles containing synthetic cannabis to inmates in Texas prisons. What seemed like a harmless act of mailing religious items turned into a major contraband investigation.
How Bibles Led to an Arrest
In late May 2025, two bibles were mailed to the James V. Allred Unit in Iowa Park, Texas. These packages were flagged by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for a routine inspection. Upon testing, the paper inside the bibles tested positive for synthetic cannabis, a controlled substance.
Synthetic cannabis is made by spraying chemicals on shredded plant material, mimicking the effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. When these chemicals were sprayed on the pages of the bibles, they could potentially be shredded and used as drugs within the prison.
Investigation Traces the Bibles to a Local Office Depot
The Texas Board of Criminal Justice Office of Inspector General quickly launched an investigation, which led them to Henna Havila Martinez. She was seen mailing the bibles from a local Office Depot in Wichita Falls.
Authorities found that Martinez had also mailed packages to several other prisons across Texas. Additionally, KFDX reported that a newspaper sent by Martinez to a prison in East Texas also tested positive for illegal substances.
Charges and Arrest
Martinez was arrested on Friday, July 13, 2025, and charged with three counts of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and three counts of prohibited substance in a correctional facility.
Her bonds totaled $675,000. Furthermore, Martinez is being held on an ICE detainer due to her being a Finnish national, and she has no bond for this detainer.
Connection to Prison Reform Activism
Martinez’s public TikTok page includes several videos focused on prison reform in Texas. In one of the videos, she mentions being a prison wife, leading to speculation about whether her husband is incarcerated in Texas. More details about her involvement in this case may emerge as the investigation continues.