113 pounds of meth seized in traffic stop on Highway 86 near Indio

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - Border Patrol agents seized 113 pounds of methamphetamine after a traffic stop on Highway 86 near Indio, authorities said.

The incident started Monday at around 10:30 a.m. when Indio station agents conducted a traffic stop on a black pickup truck pulling a trailer on northbound Highway 86.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a Border Patrol K-9 trained to detect concealed people and illegal drugs alerted agents to the vehicle and trailer. During an initial search of the trailer, agents found a compartment containing a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

The subject, vehicle, and trailer were transported to the Indio Station for further investigation. A subsequent search of the trailer revealed 36 packages of the crystal-like substance hidden in three compartments in the trailer’s floor

“A sharp-eyed Border Patrol agent from Indio Station and his K-9 partner just took it to the bad guys, and we are proud of them!” said El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “The Premier Sector goes to the ends of the earth to stop dangerous drugs such as these – ma and pa America, stay tuned, much more to come!”

The driver was placed under arrest. The vehicle and drugs were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.