Salton City, California - Thursday, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station checkpoint arrested a man, for suspected drug smuggling after discovering more than 31 pounds of cocaine in the 1999 Jeep Cherokee he was driving.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., Border Patrol Agents referred the man to secondary inspection where a canine sniff was conducted on the Jeep.

The canine alerted to the rear bench seat of the vehicle where 12 aluminum foil wrapped packages with a combined weight of 31.1 pounds were located. The content of the packages tested positive for cocaine and have an estimated value of more than $404,300.00

The man, a Mexican citizen, the vehicle, and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.

Last fiscal year, El Centro Sector seized more than 148 pounds of cocaine.