Salton City, Calif. - On July 28, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio station arrested two female smugglers with more than $77,000 of methamphetamine on their person.
The incident occurred around 2 p.m., after a Border Patrol canine team alerted to the driver and passenger seat area of a grey Ford Explorer during a secondary inspection at the Highway 86 Checkpoint near Salton City. Agents became suspicious of the driver, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, and passenger, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen, after a search of the vehicle yielded negative results.
Further questioning by agents resulted in the discovery of two cellophane wrapped containers strapped to their abdomen. The two containers contained approximately 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine which was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the suspects and vehicle.
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.