Border Patrol Seizes 85 Lbs. Heroin, Meth Worth $1.4 Million

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the text of a press release from the U.S. Border Patrol.

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the I-5 Border Patrol checkpoint foiled two drug smuggling attempts this past weekend that resulted in the seizure of $1,436,450 of heroin and methamphetamine.

The first event occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, when agents assigned to the I-5 checkpoint discovered several bundles of heroin onboard a commercial passenger bus.

Agents noticed a suspicious duffle bag inside the cargo area and requested the assistance of a Border Patrol K-9 team. The K-9 team performed a cursory inspection resulting in a positive alert to the duffle bag.

Agents questioned the occupants, and identified a 17-year-old male U.S. citizen as the owner of the bag. Agents searched the bag and found eight bundles of heroin with a total weight of 38.25 pounds and an estimated street value of $497,250.

The second narcotics smuggling attempt occurred on Sunday at approximately 8:55 a.m. when a 24-year-old female United States citizen driver and her 26-year-old male Mexican national passenger driving a silver 1998 Honda Civic arrived to the I-5 checkpoint.

Agents became suspicious of their nervous demeanor and referred them for a secondary inspection.

Agents questioned both subjects and the passenger admitted to being illegally present in the country. A subsequent searched of the vehicle revealed 10 black plastic bags of methamphetamine hidden underneath the spare tire compartment inside the trunk. 

The total weight of the meth is 46.96 pounds and has an estimated street value of $939,200.  

In both events, the suspected smugglers and narcotics were taken into custody and subsequently turned over to a multi-agency drug taskforce.  The Honda Accord was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.