Woman Arrested In Cocaine Bust At 15 Freeway Checkpoint

An official with the U.S. Border Patrol is reporting that nearly a half-million-dollars worth of cocaine was confiscated last week by agents working near Temecula.

The bust began July 3 around 10:30 a.m. when border patrol agents allegedly spotted “a suspicious vehicle” traveling north on the 15 Freeway near Temecula, according to a news release from the agency’s Mary Beth Caston.

The 2002 Ford Explorer was stopped by agents and a 40-year-old female U.S. citizen was questioned and consented to a K-9 search, Caston reported. 

“A Border Patrol K-9 team performed a cursory inspection resulting in an alert to the rear seat. Agents lowered the seat and found 17 bundles of cocaine inside the cargo bin. The bundles weighed 44.97 pounds and had an estimated street value of $494,670,” Caston’s report read.

The woman, drugs, and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to Caston.