Border Patrol arrests woman for smuggling 43+ lbs of meth in gas tank

A 26-year-old Mexican citizen was arrested Saturday by Border Patrol on suspicion of smuggling methamphetamine in the gas tank of her car.

At 5:47 p.m., the woman, who has not been identified, came to the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint near Salton City. A Border Patrol canine unit alerted to the vehicle, and agents waved it along for secondary inspection.

During the following investigation, agents discovered packages of a substance stored in the gas tank of the vehicle, a black Nissan Altima. Agents determined that the substance had characteristics consistent with that of methamphetamine.

The total weight of the packages was 43.98 pounds and has an estimated street value of $145,100. The suspect, vehicle, and methamphetamine were turned over to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department’s Border Crime Suppression Team.