Winterhaven, California - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Andrade port of entry stopped a man with almost 200 pounds of methamphetamine in his car on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Jan. 16, at about 7:45 a.m., when a CBP officer conducting inspections encountered the 32-year-old Mexican citizen driving a 2006 Honda Civic. The officer referred the vehicle for a more in-depth examination.

During the intensive inspection, a CBP canine team screened the vehicle and the detector dog alerted to the quarter panels.  CBP officers discovered and removed 90 wrapped packages from the vehicle’s quarter panels, gas tank, front and back seats. The weight of the narcotics was 196 pounds with an estimated street value of $235,000.

“CBP officers are the frontline in protecting America’s borders,” said Andrade Officer in Charge Roberto Garcia. “Day in and day out CBP officers enforce immigration and custom laws while also apprehending travelers who are attempting to smuggle illegal narcotics.”

The driver was arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigation agents for further processing.  He was later transported to the Imperial County Jail to await arraignment.

CBP officers seized the vehicle and narcotics.