Border Patrol seized more than $173K in drug smuggling attempts

SALTON CITY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - El Centro Sector agents seized drugs in two separate smuggling attempts over the weekend.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the first incident happened Saturday morning at the Highway 86 checkpoint. Agents say they sent a commercial passenger van to secondary to investigate its passengers further.

During the inspection, a canine alerted to the vehicle. When agents questioned the passengers, one admitted to having two drug packages taped to her body.

Agents say one package tested positive for fentanyl and the other for heroin. They arrested the 20-year-old woman, a legal resident from Mexico, for further processing.

The fentanyl weighed 2.53 pounds with a value of $28,500. As for the heroin, it weighed 2.77 pounds with a value of $28,750.

The other incident happened two hours later. A commercial bus was set aside for a further investigation of its passengers.

While in inspection, a canine alerted to a black suitcase in the luggage compartment of the bus. However, none of the passengers claimed the property.

Upon opening the luggage, they found 92 vacuum sealed packages of methamphetamine.

The total weight of the packages is 51.62 pounds with a value if $116,145.