Indio Border Agents Seize $1 Million Worth Of Cocaine

Border Patrol agents working at the Indio station on Highway 111 seized several packages of cocaine on Thursday. The drugs are worth an estimated $1 million on the street, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

A blue Dodge Dakota pickup truck driven by a U.S. citizen entered the first inspection area, where a K9 team performed an outside search. Agents determined a more extensive search needed to be conducted, and sent it to t a secondary inspection area.

During the second search, agents discovered several packages containing cocaine wrapped in cellophane hidden in the center console inside the truck.

The driver and passenger, who was also a U.S. citizen, were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for prosecution, agents said.

Since October 2009, Border Patrol agents have seized more than 1,200 pounds of cocaine in the El Centro sector, which includes Indio. That compares with 170 pounds seized during the entire fiscal year of 2009.