20-year-old charged with allegedly smuggling nearly $400k worth of narcotics

A 20-year-old man was charged today with allegedly smuggling 46.7 pounds of methamphetamine and 18 pounds of fentanyl in Indio.

Joshua Lamar Chamberlain was charged with four felony counts -- one for importing/selling/distributing controlled substances into the state, two for possessing controlled substances for sale, and one for transporting/selling narcotic and controlled substances.

He was slated to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Chamberlain was arrested Friday afternoon by El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents who were conducting an anti-smuggling operation on Interstate 10, near the Golf Center Parkway exit in Indio, authorities said.

A Border Patrol K-9 detection team was alerted to Chamberlain's 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe, where agents found a plastic container and black gym bags with narcotics, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  

Authorities said 19 packages of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $126,630 and seven packages of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $268,297 were found in the vehicle.

Agents turned Chamberlain over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department with the narcotics and vehicle.   

He was being held in lieu of $1 million at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.