More than $100,000 worth of methamphetamine was discovered in the front bumper of a car during inspection at an Imperial County border port of entry, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
According to the agency, CBP officers on Wednesday encountered a woman who was attempting to enter the U.S. via the Andrade Port of Entry along with two teen passengers in her vehicle. Each of the carβs occupants showed valid travel documents and after an initial examination, CBP officers decided to further inspect the vehicle.
San Diego News
After performing a full scan of the car, officers deployed a K-9 to inspect the vehicle. The K-9 signaled it detected the presence of drugs in the front of the car, prompting officers to take a deeper look.
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Tucked into the carβs front bumper and firewall were 99 packages of meth, weighing in total 100 pounds, CBP said. The estimated street value of the drugs recovered from the car was $133,596, according to the agency.
The driver of the vehicle, who was only identified as a 37-year-old woman, was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations. The two passengers, who were an 18-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl, were released to relatives in Mexico.
CBP did not disclose the relationship between the driver and teen passengers.