Packages of Huggies wipes, a roll of towels and a stack of gloves served as hiding places for thousands of dollars in cash found in a vehicle at the I-15 Border Patrol checkpoint this week.
In addition to the money -- $17,863 was found in a 2009 Econoline Van heading south -- agents also found 19 pounds of methampetamine hidden in a car heading north, according to Agent Scott Simon.
About 3 p.m., Tuesday, a U.S. citizen and his Mexican-national girlfriend were caught allegedly smuggling drugs into Riverside County by Border Patrol agents staffing the Interstate 15 checkpoint just outside Temecula, officials said.
The 20-year-old man and his 18-year-old girlfriend were stopped while in a 2006 Mercury Montego, according to Agent Scott Simon.
The reason the car was stopped was not revealed.
"We don't reveal investigative techniques," Simon told Patch.
The two allegedly had 19 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a tire stuffed in the trunk, with a street value of almost $375,000, according to Simon.
Agents on scene used a drug-sniffing dog to perform a quick inspection of the car and following the pooch's cue, searched for and located 17 vacuum-sealed bundles of the drug, Simon wrote.
The man was turned over to the custody of the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration and the woman was turned over to the Department of Homeland
Security for deportation proceedings, Simon said.
The car was seized by the agents.
Earlier the same day, agents stopped the van, occupied by a 35-year-old U.S. man and his 36-year-old passenger, a Mexican man, officials said.
A dog was brought out and according to Simon, sniffed out the money, which most likely had drug residue on it.
"Generally they (dogs) sniff money and guns or drugs and humans," Simon told Patch.
"If the dog alerted it's probably because there was some sort of narcotics residue on the money."
Agents found $17,863 hidden inside the wipes, shop towels and gloves.
The suspects were booked into the Riverside County Jail in Vista and the cash and van were seized as assets.
Year ago I was asked to run pot to Missouri or Tennessee, one of those, and I would get paid 8k. Then he went up to 10k. I still refused and asked him why in the heck would you ask a Mom with 3 kids(I was a bit naive as to what looked more innocent then not, LOL), and of course he said well a Mom with her kids, nanny, vacationing is a perfect set up. Course my Nanny was legal as me, still was hispanic and I thought that would make us stick out more. LOL, and I just do NOT know who would think 8k or 10k would be enough money to make up for the time spent in jail, kids taken away, car, house etc. Stupid stupid stupid
YEP folks WELCOME to AMERICA "Land of the Free" People who do not use credit cards usually carry cash , and frequently $1,000's . So they are at high risk of getting thrown in jail if stopped by cops. in the "Land of the Free". One last thing the Mex -US Border is 50 miles south of the !-15 Border Patrol station. Explain the logic of having a border check point near Temecula. When at San Ysidro we have hundreds of armed border patrol agents stopping everyone who crosses into the USA from TJ. There is also a massive steel fence at San Ysidro running into the Pacific Ocean. Sorry folks, I keep forgetting this is the "Land of the Free".
No, and I repeat No country, on Earth is Free . (So called free ...YES) What annoys me, is our arrogance and hypocrisy , when we constantly refer to our country as " Land of the Free" . Who are we kidding ?? Certainty it is more free than the tribal medieval countries like Afghanistan or Ethiopia or Chins (under communist rule) etc. If I could speak , read and write French I would live in France . The South of France on the Med. A beautiful (so-called free) cultured land, where you won't find Mickey Dees . KFC, Burger King etc... blighting every town there, like we have here at home. Or if it wasn't so cold in winter, I would be very happy to live in the vast land of Canada another Free country.. (so-called). I live in So.Cal for two reasons . 1: the sunshine and great climate, 2: you speak English. from the mother country England.
I give up. . . The ignorance is appalling . Galactic fool clearly knows little about law enforcement
Dude , Children have pocket money given by their parents. Drugs are purchased by older teens, together will plenty of booze, and nicotine (cancer causing drugs). However the majority of illegal drugs are purchased by American adults who also buy legal drugs "booze" and cigarettes in huge volume. The second biggest cash crop grown in California is Marijuana. but Guess what we blame Mexicans for that also. Once again, I fell that fine word in the English language, "Hypocrisy" could be applied to your comment above. With no disrespect to you Dude.
I would be happy to live on the sunny warm shores of the Mediterranean, in France . But as I said I do not speak French . And here in our schools French is not taught as a common subject. but Spanish is, to accommodate the Mexicans . Who's country Mexico we blame for all drug problems here at home . But you never hear about the French smuggling drugs in to the USA. The French gave the US...... The Statue of Liberty And if the French were not fighting the English in the 1700's, the English King George would have had enough trained troops to crush the American rebels. However most of his armies were fighting the French at that time. And the French sided with the American rebels anyway. Jerome Dude, How do you know that was drug money .Show proof.. Do the following test..... go into your Bank and withdraw say $10,000 in used $20 dollar bills. Place them in a card board box on the back seat of your car. Drive through the BPS south of Temecula slowly and erratically. They will stop you . A sniffer dog will be used and they will open your cardboard box. In that bundle of 500 $20 bills at least one will have passed through the hands of a person who was smoking a joint or rolling a joint. Then you will be arrested and your $10k seized as assets with your car . Unless you can show evidence of a withdrawal receipt from the bank. Remember Dude . we live in "The Land of the Free"...so-called
When the Mexicans comes here they want us to speak Spanish instead of them learning English.
Galactic, you will have to trust me if u can on this one. . . I work in the field of law enforcement I know that's drug money and I've been around long enough to call it what it is. While I can appreciate your comments and the untrained eye I know that came from selling drugs in the street. And your right. . . There is a demand here in the US but we don't give up. We try and raise good kids who will stay away from that stuff. The vast majority of Americans don't want that crap up here and those are the ones I work for
With all due respect your comment I find it confusing or possibly bigoted.: "The vast majority of Americans don't want that crap up here and those are the ones I work for" If Marijuana is crap then how would you describe Booze Booze is consumed by 70% of all adult Americans and 80% of high schoolers . And in our society (including Temecula) booze leads to murder and vast domestic violence, including rape etc. So would you call booze crap ???? or what. Do another test Take 100 adults and give them each a joint to smoke in Bar Take 100 adults and give them each a fifth of Jack Daniels to drink in a Bar. Which of those 2 groups will start fighting and smash up the Bar. Which of those 2 groups will kick back and laugh and chant PEACE Brothers. Take it easy dude....!!!!
Then, are you saying (implying) Americans do not have the guts to tell the Mexicans you must learn English or go home to Mexico if you do not. Or would that trigger the "illusionary rights" that every resident here imagine they have. Inquiring Minds want to know.