NILAND, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working at the Highway 111 immigration checkpoint arrested a man suspected of smuggling methamphetamine Friday morning.
The incident occurred at approximately 7:23 a.m., when a 55-year-old man driving a gold 1992 Jaguar Sovereign approached the checkpoint. A Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the vehicle. Agents sent the vehicle to secondary inspection for further investigation.
While in secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents discovered 24 packages hidden inside of the vehicle’s rocker panels. Agents determined that the substance in the packages was consistent with the characteristics of methamphetamine.
The total weight of the methamphetamine discovered was 48.3 pounds, with an estimated value of $111,090.
“This seizure demonstrates the vital role our canine teams perform in detecting dangerous drugs thus keeping these off our streets which safeguards our communities,” said El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez.
The man, a Mexican citizen, the vehicle, and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).