Border Patrol dog sniffs out cache of meth

A Border Patrol canine alerted agents to a large quantity of methamphetamine hidden in the oil pan of a vehicle on Thursday.

According to a news release from the El Centro Sector Border Patrol office, agents assigned to the Indio Station stopped a 46-year old man driving a blue 2003 Ford Expedition at the Highway 86 Checkpoint around 11:25 Thursday night.

After a Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the vehicle, agents referred the driver to secondary inspection area for further investigation. The agents subsequently discovered two packages of methamphetamine concealed within the vehicle’s oil pan. The methamphetamine had a combined weight of 6.8 pounds with an estimated street value of $68,000.

The suspected smuggler, a lawfully present Mexican citizen, was taken into custody. The man, vehicle, and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.