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INDIO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — U.S. Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector intercepted a major drug smuggling attempt last week, seizing 113 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a trailer and arresting a 27-year-old U.S. citizen in connection with the case.
Officials estimate the street value of the narcotics is around $96,500.
According to the El Centro Sector, the bust occurred around 10:30 a.m. Monday on Highway 86 near Indio. Agents pulled over a black pickup towing a trailer.
During the stop, a Border Patrol K-9 trained in detecting illegal drugs and concealed persons alerted to the vehicle and trailer, prompting a search.
Agents discovered a compartment within the trailer containing a crystal-like substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine. The vehicle, trailer and driver were taken to the Indio Border Patrol Station for further investigation.
A more extensive search uncovered 36 packages of methamphetamine hidden in three compartments under the trailer’s floor, according to authorities.
El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino praised the efforts of the team involved in the seizure.
“A sharp-eyed Border Patrol agent from Indio Station and his K-9 partner just took it to the bad guys, and we are proud of them!” he stated. “The Premier Sector goes to the ends of the earth to stop dangerous drugs such as these – ma and pa America, stay tuned, much more to come!”
The driver was placed under arrest, and both the drugs and the vehicle were seized by U.S. Border Patrol.
This seizure adds to a growing list of significant drug busts by the El Centro Sector, which continues to play a critical role in intercepting narcotics before they can reach communities across California and beyond.
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