Three immigration checks during a 12-hour period in San Diego County netted more than $350,000 in methamphetamine and heroin, officials are reporting.
The first seizure occurred Tuesday at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 8 near Pine Valley. At about 2 p.m., agents spotted a 27-year-old man driving a Chevrolet S10 pickup truck and referred the vehicle to a secondary inspection using a Border Patrol K-9, according to a statement from the U.S. Border Patrol.
With help from the dog, agents searched and discovered 13 bundles of crystal methamphetamine and one bundle of black tar heroin hidden inside the truck’s air conditioning vents, the statement continued.
The meth seizure was valued at $36,672 and the heroin was valued at $15,600, according to officials.
The second incident occurred at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 5 near San Clemente. At about 6 p.m., a 19-year-old male driving a Ford Focus was referred to a secondary inspection.
Agents arrested the driver after discovering he was in the country illegally, and when they searched the Focus they allegedly found 4.63 pounds of heroin and 36.27 pounds of methamphetamine hidden between the rear seats and trunk.
The heroin was valued at $43,985 and the methamphetamine was valued at $123,318, according to officials.
Another incident also took place at the checkpoint near San Clemente Wednesday around 1:30 a.m., when agents referred the driver of a Ford Ranger pickup truck to a secondary inspection. With help from a Border Patrol K-9, agents found 38 bundles of crystal methamphetamine inside the cab behind the driver’s seat and back wall of the cab, the statement continued.
The meth seizure was valued at $137,696, according to officials.
The drivers in all three incidents were arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The vehicles were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
–Staff
