A 19-year-old Mexican national was nabbed Tuesday after border checkpoint agents allegedly discovered bundles of cocaine and heroin stuffed inside his car’s spare-tire well, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokewoman reported.
The arrest took place at around 6:30 p.m. after the teen was stopped by agents as he drove up to the northbound Interstate 5 checkpoint, just north of Oceanside, according to CBP spokeswoman Mary Beth Caston.
“Agents conducted a cursory inspection” of the 2005 Mazda 3 he was driving “and discovered 10 plastic-wrapped bundles in the car’s tire well,” she said.
“Five of the bundles contained 11.57 pounds of cocaine. The other five bundles contained 12.68 pounds of heroin. The narcotics have a combined estimated street value of $327,930,” Caston continued.
The driver was arrested for narcotics smuggling and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the narcotics; the Mazda was seized by border patrol, she said.
–Staff
