Border Patrol Seizes More than $850,000 of Methamphetamine

December 29, 2009): El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station and working the Highway 111 checkpoint seized more than 26 pounds of methamphetamine. A red luxury sedan entered the Highway 111 checkpoint on Monday evening for inspection. During the primary inspection, a Border Patrol canine team performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle. The canine alerted to the trunk and the vehicle was referred to secondary for further inspection. A subsequent scan of the vehicle using a large-scale imaging system revealed an anomaly under the spare tire located in the trunk of the vehicle. Agents discovered 12 vacuum-sealed bags of a crystalline substance in the area beneath the spare tire. The crystal substance tested positive for the properties of methamphetamine.

The methamphetamine weighed approximately 27 pounds and has an estimated value of more than $850,000. The driver, the vehicle and methamphetamine were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

El Centro Sector has witnessed a significant increase in the amount of narcotics being seized this year. In the few months since the fiscal year began on October 1, the El Centro Sector has already surpassed last fiscal year’s total amount seized of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine.