California checkpoint yields methamphetamine seizure

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working a Highway 86 immigration checkpoint halted a methamphetamine smuggling attempt with a $210,220 street value.

The incident occurred when a 47-year-old woman driving a white Honda Pilot approached the checkpoint, where a Border Patrol canine detection team alerted agents who then sent the vehicle to secondary inspection for further investigation.

Agents discovered several packages hidden inside the ceiling of the vehicle in a false compartment, officials said, noting agents determined the substance was consistent with the characteristics of methamphetamine. The total weight of the methamphetamine discovered was 91.4 pounds.

The woman, who officials said is a Mexican citizen, the methamphetamine and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

“This was a phenomenal seizure by our agents,” Gloria I. Chavez, El Centro sector chief, said. “I am so proud of our agents and K-9 teams for the work they do every day.”

El Centro Sector is located in Southern California in the Imperial Valley, authorities noted, adding El Centro’s area of operation has diverse terrain, principally desert with some mountain ranges and wide areas of agricultural lands.

The desert poses a danger for agents and potential border crossers as the summer heat can exceed 120 degrees. El Centro Sector has four Border Patrol stations located in the cities of El Centro, Calexico, Indio, and Riverside.