The two women arrested in Peru on suspicion of trafficking cocaine to Spain are likely to appear in court later today.
Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid, both aged 20, were charged by a prosecutor last night.
They are likely to appear before a judge later today, who will decide whether to open a case against them.
The judge will also determine whether Reid, from Scotland, and Tyrone woman McCollum will be granted bail.
If they are not, they are likely to remain in detention in Peru for several months - and possibly years - while they await a trial.
The two were arrested at Lima's international airport earlier this month after cocaine worth roughly €1.6 million was found in their luggage as they flew to Madrid and then on to Majorca.
They claim they were forced to travel under duress from Ibiza, where they were working in bars, to Peru at the behest of a drugs gang.
