Crime & Safety

Mexican Accused of Smuggling 56 Pounds of Meth

The suspect was caught in Temecula by the Border Patrol with $1.12 million worth of the drug, an official says.

 

A Mexican was allegedly caught trying to smuggle 56 pounds of methamphetamine through Temecula, an official said today.

The 56-year-old man, who the Border Patrol declined to name, was spotted at 3:45 p.m. on Monday driving a 1999 Mercury Cougar through the checkpoint just south of Temecula, said Agent Scott Simon.

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During an inspection, the driver seemed nervous, so an agent directed him aside for a secondary inspection.

A drug-sniffing dog then signaled that it sensed drugs inside the car, Simon said.

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"Agents searched the vehicle and discovered 24 bundles of methamphetamine concealed inside of the natural voids within the rear quarter panels behind both the driver’s and passenger’s seats," Simon said.

The man was taken into custody and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation, and the car was confiscated by the Border Patrol, the agent said.

The drugs were estimated to have a street value of $1.12 million, he said.

The agent asked the public to report any suspicious activity to the Border Patrol at 619-498-9900.


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