Border Patrol agents reportedly discovered more than $81,000 worth of illegal drugs in one vehicle on April 8, according to a report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The 20-year-old suspected smuggler is a Mexican national. The bust occurred in El Centro, California.
The smuggler was reportedly driving a blue Ford Explorer at the time. Border Patrol agents searched the vehicle around 7 p.m. after an alert from a drug-sniffing dog. The Explorer was then transported to Indio Station, according to reports, where the nine pounds of narcotics were seized. More specifically, agents found 9.69 pounds methamphetamine and heroin.
CBP stated that the drugs were being held in several vacuum-sealed bags. The smuggler allegedly tried to hide the bags in his vehicle’s fuel tank.
Breitbart Texas’ calls to the El Centro Border Patrol Sector were not immediately returned.
This is just the latest in a string of incidents this year that involve Mexican nationals attempting to smuggle drugs into the U.S.
Breitbart Texas reported that $14.4 million worth of marijuana was seized in the south Texas area during the last week of March. A single bust that week yielded 2,600 pounds of marijuana, which were discovered inside a smuggler’s tractor-trailer.
Daniel Tirado, a Border Patrol spokesman from the Rio Grande Valley, told Breitbart Texas in an interview that his agents seize about 1,300 pounds of narcotics each week in his area.
“The sizes of busts vary,” he added.
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate
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