U.S. Border Patrol seizes 115 pounds of meth at California checkpoint
INDIO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A U.S. citizen was arrested for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine into the country from Mexico, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday.
The agency said that Border Patrol agents with the El Centro Sector stopped a sedan around 11:50 a.m. Monday at the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint.
During the inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 team alerted agents to the vehicle and referred it for secondary inspection.
The K-9 alerted agents to the floorboards of the vehicle, where an aftermarket compartment was located, the news release said.
Read BORDER REPORT stories about life along the U.S.-Mexico border
Several wrapped packages were discovered inside, with one testing positive for methamphetamine.
The packages contained nearly 115 pounds of the drug with an estimated street value of $96,942, according to authorities.
'This hefty seizure represents something significant happening here in the Premier Sector and across the Border Patrol, namely that cartel terrorists have an ever more difficult time smuggling drugs,' said El Centro Sector Chief Gregory K. Bovino in the release. 'Our checkpoints are open for business and Border Patrol agents know more, much more, than cartel terrorists know.'
The driver was arrested for the transportation of a controlled substance and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the vehicle and narcotics.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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