El Centro Border Patrol seizes smuggled drugs in two separate incidents
PHOTO: El Centro Sector Border Patrol
SALTON CITY — Border Patrol agents at the Highway 86 checkpoint confiscated smuggled drugs in two separate incidents last weekend, according to reports.
On Sunday, August 5th, a 32-year-old man driving a white Freightliner was arrested after a K9 flagged his vehicle and agents discovered several packages hidden in the sleeper berth of the truck.
The substance in the packages appeared consistent with the characteristics of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
The confiscated meth totaled about 391.81 pounds, with an estimated street value of $1,016,600. The heroin, weighing in at 47.19 pounds, would have fetched an estimated value of $1,510,080. The cocaine clocked in at 5.1 pounds with an estimated value of $57,954.
The driver, a citizen of Mexico, as well as the narcotics and truck, were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In the second incident, just before 2 AM on Sunday, a 54-year-old man and 37-year-old woman driving a gold Honda Accord were stopped at the checkpoint and, as in the first incident, were flagged by a K9.
Inspection of their vehicle turned up several packages hidden in the car’s battery, each containing substances consistent with the characteristics of fentanyl and cocaine, respectively.
The suspected fentanyl weighed in at 4.9 pounds with an estimated value of $57,909, while the heroin, weighing 2.5 pounds, was valued at $29,545.
The suspects, both U.S. citizens, as well as their vehicle and narcotics, were turned over to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office.
