SALTON CITY, Calif. –Friday, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested a suspected drug smuggler after discovering packages of methamphetamine hidden inside the bed of a pickup truck.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:45 a.m., when Border Patrol agents encountered a 66-year-old male driving a red 1992 Ford F-150 at the Highway 86 checkpoint located near Salton City.
After a Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the vehicle, agents referred the driver to the secondary inspection area for further investigation. The agents subsequently discovered a false compartment in the bed of the vehicle containing 10 packages of methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine had a combined weight of 13.9 pounds with an estimated street value of about $139,000.
The driver, a United States citizen, the vehicle, and the narcotics were turned over to the custody of Drug Enforcement Administration agents for further investigation.