FALLBROOK, Calif. — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a 37-year-old Mexican national Tuesday who was driving north with hard narcotics hidden inside his car.
The incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m., when agents patrolling Interstate 15 observed a 2003 Dodge Neon and initiated a vehicle stop. A Border Patrol K-9 team was summoned and a K-9 sniff of the vehicle resulted in a positive alert.
Agents searched the car and discovered 10 bundles of narcotics stashed inside the lining of the Neon’s backseat. Five of the bundles were filled with cocaine and five were filled with methamphetamine. The 10 bundles weighed 24.58 pounds and are worth an estimated $285,340.
The man was arrested and the narcotics were turned over to agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The suspect faces federal charges for drug trafficking and possession of a controlled substance. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.