Niland, California - El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seized methamphetamine loads and a stolen vehicle Wednesday evening last week.

The first incident occurred at approximately 4:05 p.m., when a man driving a black Toyota Four Runner along with a male passenger approached the Highway 111 checkpoint. As the vehicle waited in the traffic lane, Border Patrol agents were alerted that the vehicle was possibly stolen. Agents directed the vehicle aside for further investigation.

During their inspection, A Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted to the vehicle as it waited in secondary.Agents discovered 31 packages of methamphetamine concealed in the spare tire of the vehicle. Additionally, records checks of the vehicle revealed that the Toyota was reported stolen out of Riverside County. Agents arrested the occupants of the vehicle and held them for further processing. During a search incident to arrest, the driver had a glass drug pipe in his possession.

The methamphetamine weighed approximately 33 pounds with an estimated value of more than $74,000.

El Centro Sector turned over the driver, a 29-year-old man and the passenger, a 24-year-old man, both United States citizens, paraphernalia, narcotics and the stolen vehicle to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The second incident occurred at approximately 9:15 p.m., when a man driving a Silver Nissan Altima approached the Highway 86 checkpoint. Border Patrol agents referred the vehicle to secondary for further investigation.

During their inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted to the vehicle as it waited. Agents discovered packages of methamphetamine inside six battery booster boxes. Agents arrested the driver and held him for further processing.

The total weight of the methamphetamine was more than 23 pounds with an estimated value of nearly $52,000.

Agents turned over the driver, a 28-year-old man a United States citizen, and the narcotics to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.