El Centro Border Patrol agents seize 67 pounds of cocaine

INDIO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said El Centro Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national suspected of smuggling cocaine.

On Monday, May 13, a white sedan approached the U.S. Border Patrol Highway 86 immigration checkpoint where a canine detection team alerted to the vehicle.

The vehicle was then directed for secondary inspection and the driver claimed to have marijuana and a firearm in his backpack, said CBP.

CBP said the bag was removed from the vehicle and the canine team conducted a second sweep where agents were alerted to the vehicle's floorboards that appeared to have been tampered with.

After looking through the floorboards, agents found an aftermarket compartment that contained 25 packages wrapped in brown paper.

CBP said officers took a sample from one of the packages and it tested positive for cocaine.

67 pounds of cocaine were removed from the vehicle, said CBP.

CBP said the driver, firearm and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further processing and investigation.