SALTON CITY, Calif. - Two people are in jail Wednesday after Border Patrol agents said they tried smuggling drugs into the country inside a spare tire.
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents said the individuals, an unidentified 30-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, arrived at the United States-Mexico border in a white, 2012 Chevrolet Silverado just after 7 p.m. Tuesday. Upon an initial inspection of the truck, a Border Patrol canine team was alerted.
After further investigation, agents said they found 12 packages hidden in the truck's spare tire. Nine of the packages contained 67.2 pounds of cocaine while the other three packages contained 5.4 pounds of methamphetamine total, according to agents.
The drugs have an estimated combined street value of $828,000.
The man, a U.S. citizen, and the woman, a Mexican citizen, have been turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for investigation.
The El Centro Border Patrol Sector said they have seized more than 151.23 pounds of cocaine and 135.4 pounds of methamphetamine since October 2016.
