--- description: Tonya Couch was deported from Mexico and flown to Los Angeles title: 'Affluenza' Teen's Mom Lands in U.S., While Son Remains in Mexico image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2eb869f5e54f7e3c/698877402dce01b6269e7263/tonya-couch.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'Affluenza' Teen's Mom Lands in U.S., While Son Remains in Mexico by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 31, 2015 2:26 PM CUT  Tonya Couch is taken by authorities after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, on Dec. 31, 2015. Tonya Couch is taken by authorities after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, on Dec. 31, 2015.Mark J. Terrill—AP by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 31, 2015 2:26 PM CUT The mother of U.S. fugitive teen Ethan Couch returned to the United States without her son early Thursday after her deportation from Mexico. Tonya Couch was in handcuffs in the custody of U.S. Marshals when she was brought through Los Angeles International Airport. She looked away from cameras as she was taken to an unmarked car and driven away. U.S. Marshals confirmed later Thursday morning that she was in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department. Her son remains in Mexico in an immigration facility because a judge issued an injunction temporarily blocking his deportation. It was not immediately… [Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News ](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mom-affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-deported-u-s-mexico-ap-n488346?cid=par-time%5F20151231 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4164878/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-tonya-deported-mexico/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4164878/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-tonya-deported-mexico/"},"headline":"'Affluenza' Teen's Mom Lands in U.S., While Son Remains in Mexico","datePublished":"2015-12-31T14:26:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:42:32.985Z","description":"Tonya Couch was deported from Mexico and flown to Los Angeles","url":"https://time.com/4164878/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-tonya-deported-mexico/","keywords":["Crime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2eb869f5e54f7e3c/698877402dce01b6269e7263/tonya-couch.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NBC News","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nbc-news/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2eb869f5e54f7e3c/698877402dce01b6269e7263/tonya-couch.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Tonya Couch","caption":"Tonya Couch","creditText":"Mark J. Terrill—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4164878/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-tonya-deported-mexico/","name":"'Affluenza' Teen's Mom Lands in U.S., While Son Remains in Mexico"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Wins Temporary Stay Against Deportation","description":"Ethan Couch and his mother reportedly drove their pickup truck across the Texas border into Mexico in a planned escape.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/vab47Gf8/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-12-30T17:48:42.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/vab47Gf8.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4164878/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-tonya-deported-mexico/","duration":"PT56S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4164878/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-tonya-deported-mexico/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```