Busy Border Patrol Snags $300K in Meth, Heroin, Coke

The following is a press release from the U.S. Border Patrol:

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Interstate 5 checkpoint intercepted four drug smuggling attempts this week, resulting in the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin valued at more than $300,000.

On Sunday at about 10:30 a.m., agents assigned to patrol duties along Interstate 5 stopped a 62-year-old male Mexican national driving a 2006 Nissan Altima.

Agents became suspicious of the driver’s nervous demeanor and referred him for a secondary inspection. A Border Patrol canine performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle and alerted to the floorboard near the passenger seat.  Agents searched and discovered a backpack on the passenger seat containing two packages of cocaine.  The cocaine weighed 4.56 pounds and had an estimated street value of $50,160.

Around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, agents assigned to the San Clemente Border Patrol checkpoint encountered a 28-year-old United States citizen exhibiting suspicious behavior on a bus.

A search of the passenger’s backpack revealed five vacuum-sealed packages in a canister and two vacuum-sealed packages inside the soles of the passenger’s shoes. The seven packages contained 7.05 pounds of methamphetamine and had an estimated street value of $141,000.

On Tuesday evening at around 11:30 p.m., agents at the checkpoint encountered a 26-year-old male United States citizen driving a 2008 Honda Accord. Agents became suspicious of the man’s nervous demeanor and referred him for a secondary inspection. A Border Patrol K-9 performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle resulting in an alert to the driver’s door.

Agents subsequently located a backpack behind the driver’s seat with three bundles of methamphetamine inside.  The methamphetamine weighed 2.15 pounds and had an estimated street value of $43,000.

The fourth event occurred Wednesday at approximately 7:30 p.m. Agents at the checkpoint encountered a 34-year-old male United States citizen driving a 2011 Toyota Corolla.  A Border Patrol K-9 performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle resulting in an alert.

Agents searched the vehicle and discovered three bundles of heroin inside the vehicle’s battery. The heroin weighed 5.51 pounds and had an estimated street value of $66,120.