California CBP Officers Seize More than $260,000 in Meth

Calexico, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico downtown port of entry arrested a U.S. citizen after discovering 24-pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle he was driving.

The incident occurred on Friday, April 29, at about 5 p.m. when a CBP officer conducting inspections of vehicles and travelers entering the U.S. referred the driver, a 22-year-old male, for further examination after detecting inconsistencies in his story.

At the secondary inspection area, a canine team was screening vehicles when the canine alerted officers to the silver Chevy Cavalier. An intensive examination of the vehicle led officers to the discovery of 19 wrapped packages of methamphetamine concealed inside a non-factory compartment in the dashboard area. The methamphetamine has a street value of $264,000.

The driver, a resident of Coachella, Calif., was turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and transported to the Imperial County Jail awaiting arraignment.

CBP seized both the vehicle and narcotic.

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.