KXO RADIO - U.S. Border Patrol Seizes More Than $12 Million Of Cocaine

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U.S. Border Patrol Seizes More Than $12 Million Of Cocaine

Todays is : Friday, 12 March 2010

Written by Carroll Buckley
Thursday, 03 December 2009
U.S. Border Patrol Agents from the El Centro Sector working the Highway 86 checkpoint in Imperial County seized approximately 385 pounds of cocaine valued at over $12 million dollars Wednesday evening. According to the Border Patrol , at about 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday , December 2 , 2009 , a sport utility vehicle hauling a flat bed trailer entered the checkpoint for inspection and was referred to secondary inspection. During secondary inspection , a large scale imaging device checked the SUV and discovered an anomaly in the spare tire. A Border Patrol canine unit alerted to the vehicle and a subsequent search led to the discovery of 75 packages concealed in the spare tire, an audio speaker box and in a tool box. The packages tested positive as cocaine. The driver , a U.S. citizen , the SUV , trailer and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Calhoon said " The use of advanced technology and a canine team greatly enhanced the Border Patrol's ability to detect an illicit shipment of cocaine that has doubled last fiscal years total amount seized by the El Centro Sector." According to Calhoon , the right combination of personnel and technology were instrumental in obtaining a seizure of this magnitude.