U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Archived Content

  • In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. El Centro Sector Border Patrol Seizes Methamphetamine and Later Disrupts Alien Smuggling Attempt

El Centro Sector Border Patrol Seizes Methamphetamine and Later Disrupts Alien Smuggling Attempt

Release Date

Imperial, Calif. - El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station seized approximately three pounds of methamphetamine at the Highway 86 checkpoint, located between Westmorland and Salton City California. In a separate incident, Calexico station agents apprehended a juvenile alien smuggler and a foot guide.

The first incident occurred on October 23, at approximately 4:00 p.m., when Border Patrol agents referred a Crucero passenger bus to secondary inspection. In secondary, a canine team alerted to the interior of the bus and passengers were asked to exit the bus for further investigation. The canine team further alerted to an overhead compartment where a duffle bag was discovered containing five packages of methamphetamine wrapped in tape. The methamphetamine had a combined weight of approximately three pounds and an estimated street value of more than $104,000. A 23-year-old United States Citizen woman was arrested as a suspect in the case. The woman and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.

The second incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m., when Calexico Border Patrol agents thwarted the smuggling attempt of five illegal aliens from Mexico. The incident occurred near the Highline Canal, which is located east of the Calexico port of entry. Agents observed five individuals climbing over the fence into the United States and then swimming across the All American Canal. The individuals were then observed boarding a sedan. Agents followed the vehicle, a 1996 Plymouth Neon, and successfully deployed a Controlled Tire Deflation Device to stop the vehicle. The driver, a 17-year-old Mexican citizen juvenile and the foot guide, a 36-year-old Mexican citizen man attempted to flee from the vehicle, but were immediately apprehended.

The juvenile driver will be turned over to the Mexican Consulate and subsequently returned to Mexico. The foot guide will be held pending further investigation.

The El Centro Sector's Community Awareness Campaign is a simple and effective program to raise public awareness on the indicators of crime and other threats. We encourage public and private sector employees to remain vigilant and play a key role in keeping our country safe. Please report any suspicious activity to the Border Community Threat Hotline at (800) 901-2003.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
Tags: 
Archive Media Releases
  • Last Modified: February 3, 2021