Salton City, California - Friday, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested a suspected drug smuggler after discovering concealed packages of methamphetamine in a pickup truck.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m., when Border Patrol agents encountered a 21-year-old man driving a white 2000 Nissan Frontier at the Highway 86 checkpoint located near Salton City.

After a Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the rear wheel of the vehicle, agents referred the man to the secondary inspection area for further investigation.  The agents subsequently discovered 35 packages of methamphetamine in the fuel tank of his vehicle.

The methamphetamine had a combined weight of 35.40 pounds with an estimated street value of more than $350,000.

The driver, a United States citizen, the vehicle, and the narcotics were turned over to the custody of Drug Enforcement Administration agents for further investigation.

Last fiscal year, El Centro Sector seized more than 445 pounds of methamphetamine.