BP seizes meth, heroin over weekend
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seized narcotics in three separate incidents over the weekend, a Customs and Border Protection news release stated.
The first incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. Friday when a truck approached the primary inspection area of the Highway 86 checkpoint.
A Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the vehicle, and agents referred the driver to secondary for further inspection.
Agents conducted a thorough inspection and discovered 70 wrapped bundles hidden in the rear quarter-panels of the vehicle.
The packages tested positive for the characteristics of methamphetamine.
The total weight of the meth was 76.4 pounds with an estimated value of $252,120.
Agents arrested the driver, who was identified as a female U.S. citizen.
The woman, vehicle and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.
The second incident occurred at around 4:15 p.m. Saturday when agents conducted an immigration inspection on a Greyhound bus.
Agents noticed an unclaimed bag in the overhead compartment of the bus. Upon inspection, agents discovered two bundles of heroin inside with a total weight of 9.8 ounces, valued at $12,767.
Through further investigation, agents were able to identify a male U.S. citizen who had brought the bag onboard the bus, but failed to identify the bag as his.
Agents arrested the man. The man and narcotics were turned over to the Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team.
The third incident occurred Sunday when agents referred the driver of a sedan to secondary for further inspection at the Highway 86 checkpoint.
In secondary, agents discovered 19 packages hidden inside the firewall of the sedan. The contents of the packages tested positive for the characteristics of meth.
The total weight of the narcotics was 11.5 pounds with a value of $38,000. Agents arrested the man, who was identified as a U.S. citizen.
Agents turned him over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the meth.
In fiscal year 2018, El Centro Sector has seized more than 595.18 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 46.71 pounds of heroin, the news release stated.