Nearly 100K worth of meth found in gas tank at HWY 86 checkpoint

Border Patrol agents discovered nearly $100,000 worth of methamphetamine hidden inside the gas tank of a vehicle at the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint Monday morning.

According to El Centro Sector Border Patrol, a 19-year-old male U.S. Citizen approached the checkpoint in a Mitsubishi Eclipse at approximately 8:27 a.m. Border Patrol canines alerted agents to the Mitsubishi and the vehicle was sent to secondary inspection for further investigation.

At secondary inspection, agents discovered several packages hidden inside the gas tank. Agents determined that the substance was consistent with the characteristics of meth. The total weight of the meth discovered was 42.070 pounds, with an estimated value of $96,761.

The man, the narcotics, and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).