More than 30 pounds of methamphetamine was seized at the Interstate 15 checkpoint near Temecula Thursday morning, the U.S. Border Patrol is reporting.
The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. when agents stopped a 20-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a black 2006 Hummer H3 and his 21-year-old male passenger, who was also a U.S. citizen, according to a U.S. Border Patrol news release.
“During inspection [at the checkpoint] agents became suspicious of the men’s nervous demeanor and referred them for a secondary inspection,” the news release stated. “A Border Patrol K-9 team performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle resulting in a positive alert.”
Agents searched the vehicle and discovered a “non-factory compartment” in the rear cargo deck that was concealing 20 bundles of methamphetamine worth an estimated street value of $617,400, according to the news release.
The suspected smugglers and illicit drug were taken into custody and subsequently turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation, and the Hummer was seized by the Border Patrol, the news release stated.
