$3 Million In Drugs Seized

Three separate incidents led to the seizure of over $3 million worth of narcotics by U. S. Border Patrol agents.

The first incident occurred last Thursday at about 7:20 p.m. when a Border Patrol canine team at the Highway 86 Checkpoint near Westmorland alerted to a pickup truck. A large scale imaging device was used in secondary inspection and detected an anomaly in the tires. A search led to the discovery of 61 pounds of cocaine hidden in the tires. A street value of the drugs was estimated at over $1,950,000. The driver , a 27-year old U.S. resident , was arrested.

At about 10:30 p.m. on Friday , agents at the checkpoint discovered more than 1,300 pounds of marijuana hidden inside an international cargo truck transporting watermelons. The driver , a 21-year old U.S. citizen , was arrested. The marijuana was valued at more that $1 million.

The third incident occurred at about 1:30 Monday morning when agents assigned to the Calexico Border Patrol All Terrain Vehicle Unit discovered multiple bundles of marijuana hidden in the desert about 19 miles east of Calexico and north of Interstate 8. Agents on ATV's discovered the marijuana after following foot tracks of several backpackers who had crossed the border illegally. The marijuana weighed 70 pounds and is valued at more than $56,000. The backpackers were able to avoid apprehension.