PINE VALLEY, Calif. — Sunday morning, Border Patrol agents arrested a woman who had bundles of methamphetamine and heroin hidden inside her car.
The 33-year-old Mexican national arrived at the Pine Valley checkpoint on Interstate 8 at approximately 9:30 a.m. She ignored an agent’s request to roll down her window for routine questioning and was referred for a secondary inspection. Once in secondary, a K-9 sniff of the woman’s 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier resulted in a positive alert.
Agents found 39 bundles of drugs valued at more than half a million dollars.
Agents searched the Cavalier and found a non-factory compartment beneath the dashboard. When they removed the top of the dash, they found 39 bundles of drugs inside.
Nine bundles contained China White heroin, which weighed 13.85 pounds and has an estimated street value of $270,040. The remaining 30 bundles contained methamphetamine. The meth bundles weighed 24.91 pounds and have an estimated street value of $249,100.
The woman and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration and she faces Federal charges for the 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.