NILAND, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Highway 111 checkpoint, arrested a man suspected of smuggling methamphetamine on Saturday.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m., after a 24-year-old man approached the checkpoint in a blue 2007 Honda SUV.
During primary inspection, a Border Patrol detection canine alerted to the vehicle. Agents referred the man to the secondary inspection area for a closer examination.
After a more thorough inspection of the vehicle, agents discovered a hidden compartment in the firewall of the SUV. The compartment contained 38 vacuumed sealed packages wrapped in cellophane which contained methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine weighed 37.98 pounds with an estimated street value of $83,556.
in SUV's firewall.
“This seizure highlights the important role played by our K-9 handlers and their partners in keeping our communities free from dangerous drugs and the violence associated with their sales and distribution,” said Acting Special Operations Supervisor Miguel Garcia.
The man, a United States citizen, the vehicle, and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.
From Oct. 1, 2015 through Jul. 31, 2016, El Centro Sector seized more than 1,198 pounds of methamphetamine.