Meth, pills, and stolen vehicle seized at Highway 86 checkpoint

Agents say more than $18,000 in drugs discovered

SALTON SEA, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents say on Tuesday morning they recovered a stolen vehicle and a substantial cache of illegal drugs at the Highway 86 checkpoint.

Agents say a Border Patrol canine alerted them to a possible issue with a 2013 Kia Optima when it rolled into primary inspection. They waved it into secondary inspection for a closer look.

Agents say the drug-sniffing dog directed them to the Kia's engine compartment. Border Patrol says that's where, agents found two bundles wrapped in electrical tape. The packages were wedged between the battery, and the engine. Border Patrol says the contents of those bundles tested positive for methamphetamine.

Agents also say they got an alert when they ran a records check on the car. They say it was stolen out of Beaumont.

Border Patrol says when agents arrested the 25-year-old female driver, she handed over another package of white powder, and a bundle of blue pills. Agents say the power was meth. They say the pills were fentanyl.

Agents say the woman was caring slightly less than 2.5 pounds of meth. It has a street value of around $6,500. She had less than a half-pound of fentanyl, .36 pounds, but those pills would have fetched more than $11,000 on the streets.

Agents turned over the woman, the drugs, and the vehicle to the Imperial County Border Crimes Suppression Team.