Border Patrol Nabs Almost $1M in Meth at I-5 Checkpoint

Border Patrol Agents seized a five-gallon jug of liquid methamphetamine late Wednesday morning at the 5 Freeway border checkpoint south of San Clemente.

At 11:30 a.m., agents stopped a 37-year-old male United States citizen driving a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer the checkpoint. Agents "became suspicious of the man’s nervous demeanor," according to a Border Patrol release.

Drug dogs indicated there was dope in the vehicle, and agents found the bottled drugs during a search.

"The fluid in the bottle tested positive for liquid methamphetamine and weighed a total of 47.62 pounds with an estimated street value of $952,400," the release states.

The suspected smuggler and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation. 

At about 6 p.m., Wednesday a Border Patrol drug dog sniffed around an unattended 2003 Suzuki XL7 parked near the San Ysidro Port of Entry and alerted agents there were drugs on board, according to the Border Patrol Release.

Agents searched the vehicle and discovered 28 packages of methamphetamine concealed in the rear quarter panels. The meth weighed 57.85 pounds and had an estimated street value of $1.16 million, the release states.

The Border Patrol and its partner agencies in San Diego County seize millions in drugs each year along the 5 Freeway and other freeway corridors.