Border Patrol Seizes Nearly $1 Million Worth of Drugs
Last updated 9/8/2020 at 10:11am
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seized $946,472 worth of drugs in three smuggling attempts at the Highway 86 checkpoint over the weekend.
The first incident occurred on Aug. 14 at 3:45 p.m., when a man driving a black Chrysler Sebring approached the checkpoint.
A Border Patrol canine alerted agents to the vehicle, and it was sent to secondary inspection. During the inspection, agents discovered 54 wrapped packages hidden in a compartment inside of the rear bumper.
The packages tested positive for characteristics of methamphetamine. The total weight of the meth was about 45.78 pounds with an estimated street value of $103,005.
The driver was identified as a 39-year-old United States citizen, and was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the vehicle and the drugs.
The second incident happened the day after at 7:15 a.m. A man driving a gray Ford F-150 approached the checkpoint and was redirected to the secondary inspection.
During the inspection, agents discovered 180 wrapped packages within the roof, door panels, and gas tank of the truck. All the packages tested positive for meth.
The total weight was approximately 245.24 pounds with an estimated street value of $551,790.
The man, 49, and a U.S. citizen, was turned over to the DEA.
The third incident also occurred on Saturday just shortly after. Another man driving a gray Toyota Scion along with a male passenger approached the checkpoint.
After again being alerted by the Border Patrol canine team, they were sent to secondary inspection.
This is where agents discovered several packages concealed in the rear quarter panels of the vehicle.
There was a total of 66 packages: 60 tested positive for meth, two for cocaine, two for heroin, and two for fentanyl.
The packages containing meth had a total weight of 76.93 pounds with an estimated value of $173,092.
The cocaine weighed 6.34 pounds with a value of $76,080. The heroin had a total weight of 3.91 pounds with an estimated value of $42,480. The fentanyl had a total weight of 2.21 pounds with an estimated value of $25,000.
Both men – 21 and 20 years of age, were both identified as U.S. citizens. They, along with the vehicle, and the narcotics were turned over to the DEA.
Over the course of two days, agents at the Highway 86 checkpoint at the Salton Sea seized nearly $1 million worth of drugs.
