(KGTV) - Border agents stopped more than one and a half tons of marijuana from making its way into the country early Friday.
One man was arrested after El Centro Border Patrol agents at Indio Border Patrol Station stopped a tractor-trailer for inspection just after midnight. After a canine detection prompted a more thorough search of the truck, agents found 150 packages of marijuana packed in cardboard boxes.
The bundles weighed nearly 3,600 pounds and its contents hold an estimated street value of $1,716,000.
"This was a fairly large seizure and our agents did an outstanding job of interdicting it," Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim said. "Criminal networks should be afraid to conduct their activities at our border or at our checkpoints. In addition to our tried and true methods of interdiction, we continue to strengthen our ability to dismantle criminal enterprises."
The driver of the truck, a Mexican national, was turned over to Drug Enforcement Administration for investigation.
Since October 2016, the El Centro Sector has seized more than 5,300 pounds of marijuana, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
