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El Centro Sector Border Patrol Agents Seize more than 20 Pounds of Methamphetamine at Checkpoint
SALTON CITY, Calif. –Thursday, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested a suspected drug smuggler after discovering packages of methamphetamine hidden inside a backpack stored in the rear of the vehicle.
The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m., when Border Patrol agents encountered a family of five in a white 2014 Dodge Journey at the Highway 86 checkpoint located near Salton City. The vehicle occupants included a male driver and a female passenger, both Mexican citizens, and their three children ages 3, 6, and 13, who are United States citizens.
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 backpack stored in the rear of the vehicle containing packages of methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine had a combined weight of 22.2 pounds with an estimated street value of about $220,000.
The driver and the narcotics were turned over to the custody of Drug Enforcement Administration agents for further investigation.