Border Patrol finds meth & heroin stashed beneath truck’s stick shift
Border Patrol agents detained a 19-year-old man from the United States at the Highway 86 checkpoint on Sunday after finding methamphetamine and heroin hidden inside his truck’s stick shift housing compartment.
The man pulled up to the checkpoint in a Dodge truck at about 4:40 p.m.
He was ordered to the secondary inspection area after a canine detection team alerted agents to his truck. Agents found 22 sealed packages containing meth and heroin inside a non-factory compartment underneath the stick shift, according to a release.
Authorities said the methamphetamine weighed 24.42 pounds and is estimated to be worth $97,680. The heroin weighed 2.45 pounds and is estimated to be worth $157,120. The man and the narcotics are now in custody of the Drug Enforcement Agency as the investigation continues.
“Ensuring the safety of our local communities is something we strive for daily,” said David S. Kim, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent. “This is another testament of the hard work and diligence of the K-9 teams we have working for the Border Patrol.”
In fiscal year 2017, El Centro Sector has seized more than 273 pounds of methamphetamine and over 23 pounds of heroin, authorities said in the release.
