Border Patrol agents stop two alleged drug runners
SALTON SEA — It took a shade more than an hour Saturday morning for El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents to thwart two alleged drug smuggling attempts at the Highway 86 checkpoint.
According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release, the first incident occurred about 7:20 a.m., when a man driving a Hyundai approached checkpoint and attracted the interest of the Border Patrol K-9 unit.
Agents directed the Hyundai to secondary inspection, where they reportedly discovered packages hidden in the fuel tank.
The package contents tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl, CBP said. The meth weighed 43.13 pounds and had an estimated street value of $96,950. The fentanyl weighed 5.79 pounds and had an estimated worth of $63,000.
The driver was a 38-year-old legal permanent resident from Mexico, CBP said. Border Patrol turned him, the vehicle and the drugs over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
CBP said the second incident occurred about 8:45 a.m., when a driver in a black Ford Mustang approached the checkpoint and prompted an alert from the K-9 team.
The Mustang was redirected to secondary inspection, where agents reportedly discovered a package hidden inside the engine.
CPB said the 7-pound package tested positive for cocaine and had an estimated value of $74,500.
The male driver was a 37-year-old legal permanent resident from Mexico. He, along with the car and coke, was turned over to DEA.