Border Patrol agents in the El Centro sector successfully confiscated a total of 218 pounds of liquid methamphetamine from a vehicle last week, estimated to be worth $328,000.
According to a news release by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), agents stationed at the Highway 86 Border Patrol checkpoint apprehended a man allegedly smuggling 218 pounds of liquid methamphetamine. The narcotics, valued at approximately $328,000 on the street, were concealed within the gas tank of a vehicle. The discovery was made around 2:45 p.m. when a 21-year-old man driving a blue SUV approached the checkpoint.
A K-9 detection team trained to identify hidden individuals and narcotics signaled that the vehicle might contain contraband at the primary inspection point, as per the CBP news release. Following this alert, agents directed the vehicle to secondary inspection for an in-depth investigation.
The CBP media release stated that during this secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents noticed anomalies while examining the gas tank. Consequently, both the motorist and contraband were transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation and processing. "Agents discovered a suspicious crystallized liquid inside the tank," read the news release. "Subsequent testing of the liquid confirmed the presence of methamphetamine."
In February, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents detained a 29-year-old woman who was found in possession of $746,050 under suspicion of transporting or smuggling bulk currency believed to have been procured from criminal activities, according to another CBP news release.
As per information on its website, CBP is an integrated border agency within the Department of Homeland Security tasked with comprehensive management, control and protection of our nation’s borders. It combines customs, immigration, border security and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry. During fiscal year 2023 alone, customs officials and agents across America have seized 27,000 pounds of fentanyl, 140,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 81,100 pounds of cocaine, and 150,000 pounds of marijuana, according to statistics available on the CBP website.
