Border Patrol Seizes More Than 80 Pounds of Cocaine

San Diego Border Patrol agents seized more than 80 pounds of cocaine hidden behind the dashboard of a vehicle, officials said today.

Around 10:30 a.m. on tuesday, agents assigned to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station carried out a vehicle stop on Interstate 15 in Temecula, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“During the vehicle stop, a Border Patrol canine team conducted an air sniff of the vehicle and the canine alerted to the possible presence of narcotics,” the agency reported in a statement. “A cursory search of the vehicle revealed what appeared to be cellophane wrapped packages consistent with narcotics smuggling.”

The search revealed a total of 31 bundles that were confiscated from a “non-factory”

compartment behind the dashboard. The substance in the bundles tested positive for cocaine, weighing 81 pounds, officials said.

The driver, passenger and narcotics were turned over to the Riverside County Southwest Investigations Bureau for prosecution under state charges. And the vehicle was seized by the Border Patrol, according to the statement.

“I am proud to say that men and women of the United States Border Patrol are out there day and night protecting our communities,” Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel said. “With each successful narcotic interdiction, I know for a fact that we’ve saved someone’s life.”

Apart from Tuesday, San Diego-based agents have seized 2,437 pounds of cocaine, a more than 300-pound increase from the previous fiscal year, during which agents seized 2,100 pounds of cocaine.

The sector has also seized 3,627 pounds of methamphetamine, 31 pounds of heroin and 475 pounds of fentanyl, according to reports in a statement from the agency.

The vehicle occupants were placed under arrest and transported to a nearby station. Their identities were not immediately available.

Authorities are urging the public to report suspicious activity to the San Diego Border Patrol at 619-498-9900.

-City News Service