Border Patrol Seizes More than 22 Pounds of Cocaine in Vehicle’s Dash

December 15, 2009: On December 14, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working the Interstate 8 checkpoint seized approximately 22.7 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of $746,400.

At approximately 12 p.m., a silver colored vehicle entered the Interstate 8 checkpoint for inspection. The vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection. While in secondary, a Border Patrol canine team conducted a cursory inspection and alerted, leading the agents to the dash board area of the vehicle.

Agents conducted a physical search of the dashboard area and uncovered several packages concealed in the dashboard. A total of nine packages containing cocaine were removed from the vehicle’s dashboard.

The driver and passenger, both legal permanent residents, were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the vehicle and cocaine.

This fiscal year to date, the El Centro Sector Border Patrol has seized more the 530 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $17 million. These seizures at the Interstate 8 checkpoint are at record place having already surpassing fiscal year 2009’s total cocaine seizures of 174 pounds.