El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seize $746,000
SALTON CITY — El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a United States citizen and seized over $746,000 at a checkpoint here recently.
According to a press release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), at approximately 7:38 p.m. on Friday, February 17, an SUV approached the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint. The agent inspecting vehicles in the primary lanes noticed the driver’s erratic behavior and referred the vehicle to secondary inspection.
A Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted to the rear of the vehicle.
Agents inspected the interior/exterior of the vehicle and discovered a large black duffle bag containing large amounts of currency inside, according to the release. The driver, the only occupant of the vehicle, was placed under arrest and held at the checkpoint for further investigation.
The driver, a 29-yearold woman, was in possession of $746,050 and is being suspected of transporting or smuggling bulk currency derived from illicit activities.
The driver, bulk currency, and vehicle were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations, the release states.
“Another noteworthy seizure by Indio Station agents,” El Centro Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino said in the release. “The El Centro Sector is a very unfavorable environment for drug traffickers, and any criminals for that matter, and I’d advise potential law breakers to give our professional agents a wide berth.”
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