U.S. Border Patrol Seizes Drugs Worth $8.3 Million on Thanksgiving Day

Westmorland, Calif. – On Thanksgiving Day, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio station seized a substantial amount of cocaine at the Highway 86 Checkpoint near Westmorland.

The incident occurred at approximately 12 p.m., after a Border Patrol Canine team alerted to a blue semi-truck as it performed a cursory search of the vehicle. The truck driver was identified as a 44-year-old male Mexican national with valid immigration documents. Agents used a large scale imaging system to scan the vehicle. The scan revealed several anomalies within the vehicle which led to the discovery of 100 sealed packages of cocaine concealed inside a non-factory compartment. The cocaine weighed approximately 260 pounds and was given an estimated street value of more than $8.3 million.

The driver was arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the vehicle and narcotics.

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.