Border Patrol foils drug-smuggling attempts
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint thwarted multiple attempts to smuggle methamphetamine over the weekend, a Customs and Border Protection news release stated.
The first incident occurred approximately 11:50 a.m. Saturday when a female passenger in an unlicensed taxi approached the checkpoint.
During an immigration inspection, agents referred the vehicle to secondary inspection for further investigation.
In secondary, a Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the passenger side of the vehicle, where agents discovered three packages strapped to the stomach area of the female passenger.
The packages contained a white, crystal-like substance weighing 3.96 pounds.
The second incident occurred approximately 3:50 p.m. Saturday when a female driver approached the checkpoint in a grey Nissan Altima.
In primary, agents referred the vehicle to secondary inspection, where a canine detection team alerted to the vehicle.
Upon further inspection of the vehicle, agents discovered 17 packages wrapped in brown tape near the dashboard.
The packages contained a white, crystal-like substance weighing a total of 22.14 pounds.The third incident occurred approximately 9:58 a.m. Sunday when female U.S. citizen approached the checkpoint in a Nissan Altima.
During an immigration inspection, agents referred the vehicle to secondary inspection, where a canine detection team alerted to the vehicle.
Upon further inspection, agents discovered several packages, which contained a white, crystal-like and had a total weight of 56.7 pounds, in the vehicle’s floorboard.The fourth incident occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m. Sunday when another unlicensed taxi approached the checkpoint.
During an immigration inspection, agents referred the vehicle and passengers to secondary inspection for further investigation.
In secondary, agents discovered one black package strapped to the stomach area of a 16-year-old U.S. male citizen.
The package contained a white crystal like substance weighing 3.27 pounds.
All of the packages seized from all four incidents were examined and tested positive for the characteristics of methamphetamine.
The combined weight of the packages seized totaled 87.07 lbs., with an estimated value of $228,085.
The subjects and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Imperial County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team for further investigation.