Salton City, California - Today, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested a suspected male drug smuggler at the Highway 86 checkpoint after discovering two packages of drugs concealed inside the suspect’s car battery.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:50 a.m., when Border Patrol agents encountered a 27-year-old driver of a 2002 Nissan Sentra as it approached the checkpoint.

At a pre-primary check a Border Patrol Canine Detection team alerted to the front end of the vehicle.  Border Patrol agents referred the driver to secondary for further investigation.  Upon inspection, agents discovered two packages of methamphetamine stuffed inside the battery housing.

The methamphetamine had a combined weight of 6.2 pounds with an estimated street value of more than $62,000.

The man, a United States 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 445 pounds of methamphetamine.