Border Patrol finds 17 pounds of meth & cocaine hidden in spare tire
Border Patrol agents arrested a 61-year-old man suspected of trying to smuggle methamphetamine and cocaine inside a spare tire at the Highway 86 checkpoint Tuesday morning.
The man was stopped at the checkpoint at about 6:45 a.m. in a 2003 Ford Explorer. The man was sent to the secondary inspection where agents discovered 26 packages of narcotics hidden inside the SUVs spare tire.
The narcotics tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, agents said in a news release.
The meth weighed 20.51 pounds and is estimated to be worth $65,632 on the street. The cocaine weighed 17.59 pounds and is estimated to be worth $265,360 on the street, according to authorities. The man is a lawfully permitted legal resident and he was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency where the investigation into the alleged smuggling continues.
Agents said spare tires are a common location for drug smugglers to hide their narcotics.
Since fiscal year 2017, which began on October 1 of 2016, Border Patrol agents with El Centro Sector have seized more than 1,096 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 477 pounds of cocaine, according to the news release.
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
