TEMECULA, Calif. — San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a woman and seized four bundles of heroin concealed inside of a diaper bag Tuesday.
At approximately 7:00 p.m., Border Patrol agents stopped a 38-year-old woman driving northbound on I-15 in a black Ford pick-up truck near the U.S. Border Patrol immigration checkpoint. During the traffic stop, agents searched the vehicle and discovered four cellophane-wrapped bundles inside of a diaper bag. The driver, who was traveling with her five-year-old daughter, was transported to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station. At the station, record checks revealed that the woman had a previous conviction for narcotics smuggling.
After examining the bundles, agents determined that they contained 5.4 pounds of heroin with an estimated street value of $69,120.
“Drug trafficking organizations go to great lengths to smuggle their dangerous cargo through the United States, even when it means endangering the lives of young children,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia D. McGurk-Daniel. “I commend our agents’ vigilance and commitment to keeping our communities safe from these lethal drugs.”
The woman and narcotics were turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation and prosecution.
The 5-year-old child was transferred into the custody of an appropriate party. The pick-up truck was seized by the Border Patrol.
This fiscal year, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents have seized more than 90 pounds of heroin.