NILAND, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seized methamphetamine at the Highway 111 checkpoint on Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m., when a man driving a 2019 gray Jeep Grand Cherokee along with a male passenger approached the checkpoint for inspection. A Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the vehicle. Agents sent the vehicle to secondary inspection for further investigation.
A search of the vehicle revealed two black boxes containing several plastic packages hidden inside the passenger’s foot well and another in the rear cargo area. The substance inside the packages tested positive for the characteristics of methamphetamine.
The total weight of the methamphetamine was 2.78 pounds; agents also discovered 9.7 grams of black tar heroin. The total value of both narcotics combined has an estimated street value of $6,282.
The driver, a 37-year-old United States citizen, the passenger, a 38-year-old United States citizen, the vehicle and narcotics were turned over to the Homeland Security Investigations department.