Border Patrol Agents Working Calif. Checkpoint Find Marijuana in Vehicle Floor

January 15, 2010 – On January 14, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working the Highway 86 checkpoint seized more than 135 pounds of marijuana valued at more than $110,000. At approximately 3 p.m., a silver colored mini-van approached the primary inspection area at the Highway 86 checkpoint which is operated by Indio Station agents. The vehicle was referred to the secondary inspection.

While in secondary, a Border Patrol canine team conducted a cursory inspection of the vehicle. The canine team alerted to the trunk of the vehicle. In addition, a non-intrusive inspection of the vehicle using a large scale imaging system was conducted and an anomaly was discovered in the floor of the vehicle. A physical search of that area revealed 132 vacuum sealed bags containing a green leafy substance that tested positive for the properties of marijuana.

The driver of the mini-van, a United States citizen, was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the vehicle and marijuana.

According to El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey A. Calhoon, “This is a testament of Border Patrol’s effectiveness,” he said. “It shows how our checkpoints are a valuable tool when it comes to establishing a second line of defense for stemming the flow of dangerous narcotics into our country.”