Woman arrested for drugs at East POE
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico East Port of Entry Monday seized 65 packages of methamphetamine hidden inside a spare tire, according to a CBP news release.
The incident occurred at about 11:15 p.m. Monday at the East Port when a CBP officer encountered a 43-year-old female Mexican citizen and legal permanent resident of the United States driving a blue 2014 Chevy Silverado. During the inspection, the officer detected anomalies to the spare tire and decided to escort both driver and vehicle for further examination.
Officers conducted and intensive examination that included the use of the port’s imaging system and a canine team. After the canine alerted to the vehicle’s undercarriage, officers discovered 65 wrapped packages of methamphetamine concealed inside the spare tire of the vehicle.
The weight of the narcotic was 67 pounds with a street value of approximately $167,500, the news release said.
The driver, a resident of Brawley, was arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents for further processing. The driver was later transported to the Imperial County Jail, the news release stated.
According to county Sheriff’s Office arrest records, the suspect, Arceli Ortega-Perez, was taken into custody at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday and booked into county jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sale and transporting or selling a controlled substance.
Ortega-Perez was held on a $1 million bond.