Alleged Smuggler Busted With 50 Pounds of Drugs

A man faced charges today of transporting more than 50-pounds of drugs near Temecula.

The man – a U.S. resident – was arrested around 1:45 p.m. Thursday on Highway 76 at the Interstate 15 interchange, said Border Patrol Agent Scott Simon.

Agents noticed the suspect’s black 2006 Hummer H3 and thought it looked suspicious. They stopped the vehicle and questioned the 38-year-old driver, Simon said.

The driver was acting nervously, so the agents called for a drug-sniffing dog. The animal inspected the vehicle and signaled to agents it smelled drugs.

The officials gave the vehicle a closer look and found something strange. “Upon further inspection, agents observed anomalies on the undercarriage and rear seats of the vehicle,” Simon said. “Agents subsequently discovered an aftermarket compartment under the rear seats concealing a total of 23 cellophane-wrapped bundles.”

The packages contained 26.78 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 23.48 pounds of cocaine, according to Simon.

Agents seized the suspect, the narcotics and the Hummer and turned them over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.