SAN CLEMENTE: San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents on Interstate 5 arrested a man yesterday who had cocaine stashed under the center console of his Ford truck.
The incident took place at approximately 8:30 a.m., when agents initiated a vehicle stop on a 2004 Ford F-150 near the San Clemente checkpoint. A cursory inspection by a Border Patrol K-9 produced an alert to the man’s vehicle. A search by agents yielded 12 bundles of cocaine in an after-market compartment hidden beneath the truck’s center console.
The cocaine had a total weight of 26.46 pounds and an estimated street value of $423,360. A search of the truck revealed narcotics hidden beneath the center console.
Thomas Blanks, Patrol Agent in Charge of the San Clemente Station, said, “This drug seizure not only keeps the narcotics out of our communities, thereby making them safer, but also denies the responsible transnational criminal organization any profit from their sale.”
The 49-year-old U.S. citizen driver and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Since October 1, 2015, Border Patrol agents in San Diego Sector have intercepted 598.42 pounds of cocaine.
To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.
