US CBP seizes over half a million dollars of cocaine hidden in vehicle dashboard
San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents seized more than 80 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) Tuesday morning.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., agents assigned to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station conducted a vehicle stop on Interstate 15 in Temecula. 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. A cursory search of the vehicle revealed what appeared to be cellophane wrapped packages consistent with narcotics smuggling. The occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest and transported to the nearby station.
At the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station, a more thorough search of the vehicle was conducted and a total of 31 bundles were extracted from a non-factory compartment behind the dashboard. The substance in the bundles tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of 81 pounds.
Riverside County Southwest Investigations Bureau (SIB) was notified and responded. The driver, passenger, and narcotics were turned over to the SIB for prosecution under state charges. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
“I am proud to say that men and women of the United States Border Patrol are out there day and night protecting our communities,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “With each successful narcotic interdiction, I know for a fact that we’ve saved someone’s life.”