Salton City, California - On Monday, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested a suspected female drug smuggler at the Highway 86 checkpoint after discovering fourteen hidden packages of drugs in an aftermarket compartment located in the trunk area.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:50 p.m., when Border Patrol agents encountered a 21-year-old female driver of a 1999 Jetta Volkswagen as it approached the checkpoint. 

A Border Patrol Canine Detection Team alerted to the vehicle.  Border Patrol agents referred the driver to secondary for further examination.  Agents subsequently discovered three packages of heroin and eleven packages of methamphetamine inside the vehicle.

The heroin had a combined weight of 1.73 pounds with an estimated street value of more than $20,700 and the methamphetamine had a combined weight of 5.89 pounds with an estimated street value of more than $58,800.

The woman, vehicle, and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.