3 suspected of smuggling meth arrested by Border Patrol
Border Patrol arrested three people suspected of smuggling methamphetamine Monday morning at the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the incident happened at about 8:30 a.m. It all began when a 36-year-old woman driving a marron 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, along with a 27-year-old woman, and a 37-year-old man drove into the checkpoint. After a canine detection team alerted to the vehicle, agents referred the individuals to secondary inspection.
Border Patrol agents learned that the women had the suspected narcotics hidden on their body. CBP officials said one woman had two small packages concealed internally and the other had two similar packages on her body hidden underneath her clothing.
Agents confirmed the substance was consistent with the characteristics of methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine’s total weight was 0.720 pounds, with an estimated value of $23,040.
“Body carrying is a smuggling tactic that our Border Patrol agents are well aware of and have seen before,” said Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez. “This tactic can be especially dangerous if the packages break and the body absorbs the narcotic.”
The driver and two passengers were all United States citizens. The three individuals were arrested and turned over to the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team (HIDTA) for further investigation.
