Indio Agents Seize Close to $400K of Narcotics in Vehicle Stop

30th June 2022 Tony Kingham

El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a United States citizen accused of smuggling narcotics Friday afternoon.

Narcotics found in a black gym bag — U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered narcotics hidden in a black gym bag after K-9 unit altered agents to presences of narcotics within the vehicle.

At approximately 3:20 p.m., agents conducting anti-smuggling operations on Interstate 10 performed a vehicle stop on a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe near Golf Center Parkway Exit. A Border Patrol K-9 detection team assisted in the vehicle stop and alerted to the vehicle.

During a search of the vehicle’s interior, agents discovered a plastic container and two gym bags that contained a total of 26 packages of narcotics. There were 19 packages that contained 46.7 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $126,630. The other seven packages contained 18 pounds of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $268,297.

The 20-year-old man, narcotics, and vehicle were turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.