SALTON CITY, Calif. – On Monday, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested a suspected narcotics smuggler with 24.6 pounds of methamphetamine concealed within the dashboard of the vehicle.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:50 a.m., when Border Patrol agents encountered a 47-year-old woman driving a 1995 Plymouth Voyager as she approached the Highway 86 checkpoint.
A Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the vehicle and the woman was referred to the secondary inspection for further investigation. During the inspection, agents discovered 17 small packages of methamphetamine hidden within the dashboard of the vehicle.
The methamphetamine had a combined weight of 24.6 pounds with an estimated street value of $159,900.
The suspected smuggler, a United States citizen, was taken into custody. The woman, vehicle, and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.