Photo: confiscated meth
EL CENTRO SECTOR BORDER – Thanks to the acute sense of smell of the El Centro Sector Border Patrol’s canine detection team, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested for trying to smuggle more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine past the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint (near Salton City, CA) and into this country.
At approximately 1:55 pm, the accused approached the checkpoint driving a 2012 burgundy Nissan Altima. There, the canines got a whiff of something nefarious in his vehicle, so agents ordered a secondary inspection for further investigation.
At that time, they discovered a black plastic bag containing a vacuum-sealed wrapped bundle behind the driver seat. A further search found three more black plastic bags inside the trunk. All told, they found plastic bags that held 99 bundles of a crystal-like substance, which tested positive for the properties of methamphetamine.
The 102.4 pounds of methamphetamine had an estimated value of $235,520. The man, the meth and the car were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.
