In separate incidents last week, U.S. Border Patrol agents at the San Clemente Station arrested two smuggling suspects and confiscated over $650,000 in narcotics, the agency said Monday.
On Thursday, a 44-year-old Mexican man driving a 2007 Dodge Ram truck was sent to secondary inspection around 4:30 p.m. A drug dog performed a cursory search of the truck, resulting in an alert. Agents observed dry mud at the bottom of the tailgate. They removed the mud off the tailgate, revealing 16 plastic bundles hidden inside.
Four bundles weighing 5.95 pounds field tested positive for methamphetamine and twelve bundles weighing 29.33 pounds tested positive for cocaine. The methamphetamine and cocaine has a combined street value of $440,790
The second incident occurred on Friday when a 26-year-old U.S. man drove into the checkpoint at approximately 9 a.m. The man was referred for a secondary inspection and as agents asked routine questions, a drug dog sniffed the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, resulting in an alert.
Agents searched the vehicle and discovered bundles of marijuana in the trunk, a hidden compartment, the front and rear bumpers, and under a blanket in the backseat. The marijuana weighed approximately 480.5 pounds and has an estimated street value of $216,225.
Agents arrested both men for drug trafficking and possession of a controlled substance. The men and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration, while the vehicles were seized by the Border Patrol.
