By SDCN Staff
Jamul, CA–U.S. Border Patrol agents from the San Diego Sector stopped a narcotics smuggling attempt in its tracks, intercepting a large quantity of methamphetamine concealed in a vehicle’s spare tire.
On April 18 at approximately 10:30 p.m., agents assigned to the Brown Field Station encountered a red Toyota pickup truck at the California State Route 94 checkpoint east of San Diego. A K-9 unit in the primary inspection area alerted agents to concealed people or narcotics, and the driver was directed to a secondary inspection.
The agents’ initial visual search of the vehicle yielded negative results. They conducted a mobile X-ray scan of the vehicle, which revealed anomalies in the spare tire area, underneath the vehicle. After removing the spare tire, agents used a handheld X-ray scanner to confirm anomalies within the spare tire itself.
Agents inspected the tire and removed a total of 48 packages of what later tested positive for methamphetamine. The haul contained 51 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $175,000.
