Border Patrol busts over $340K of narcotics on Sunday, $371K on Friday
INDIO – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested a Mexican national on Sunday night, May 21, who is suspected of attempting to smuggle narcotics through an immigration checkpoint.
According to a May 26 press release from the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at 9:50 p.m. a tractor-trailer approached the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint. A Border Patrol K-9 detection team operating at the primary inspection point alerted to the tractor-trailer and referred it for further inspection. During inspection of the tractor’s interior cabin, agents discovered 17 packages concealed under a mattress. Samples of the packages were taken and were consistent with the characteristics of narcotics.
Upon testing, agents confirmed that the driver of the tractor was in possession of 7 pounds of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $69,000 and 33 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $270,000, according to the release.
The driver and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The tractor-trailer was seized by the Border Patrol, per the release.
“In May alone, this is the fourth tractor-trailer seized by El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents for transporting illegal narcotics,” the release reads.
In a separate drug bust, “Agents questioned the driver of a semi-truck & his nervousness spiked their suspicions. A K-9 confirmed their suspicions when he sniffed out 15 packages of fentanyl w/a value of $371,000,” USBP El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino stated via Twitter on Friday, May 26. “(This was the) 5th semi-truck seized this month!” Bovino wrote.
“Foreign national drug smugglers, for some odd reason, think tractor-trailers might be a great way to transport drugs,” Bovino said in the release. “Indio Border Patrol agents know more than you think, and whether it’s undocumented persons or meth being transported, you will face consequences in this sector.”
Please visit www.cbp. gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For all El Centro Sector news, information, and updates, follow USCBP on Twitter @CBPElCentro, @ USBPChiefELC and on Instagram at Instagram. com/cbpgpv.