CAMPO–U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a man at the Pine Valley checkpoint on Tuesday who had crystal meth hidden inside his car’s gas tank.
At approximately 7:10 p.m., a man driving a 2008 Nissan Altima approached the Interstate 8 westbound checkpoint. As agents questioned the driver, a Border Patrol K-9 team performed a sniff of the vehicle, resulting in an alert. The agent then sent the driver to secondary inspection for further examination.
While in secondary, a K-9 performed another sniff of the vehicle, resulting in an alert near the rear of the vehicle. Agents searched and discovered 32 plastic-wrapped bundles concealed inside the gas tank. The bundles contained 38.40 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $72,960.
The driver, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen, was placed under arrest. The narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Since October 1, 2019, San Diego Sector has seized approximately 561 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $1,065,900.