NILAND, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working at the Highway 111 and Highway 86 immigration checkpoints apprehended two illegal narcotics smuggling attempts in as many days.

The first incident occurred on Monday at approximately 9:05 a.m., when a 30-year-old man driving a tan Ford Explorer approached the checkpoint. A Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted to the vehicle. Agents sent the vehicle to secondary inspection for further investigation.

While in secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents discovered 55 vacuum-sealed packages concealed in the vehicle’s fuel tank. Agents determined that the packages contained a substance that was consistent with the characteristics of methamphetamine.

Agents pulled dozens of packages

of meth from a gas tank.

The total weight of the narcotics discovered was approximately 55 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated value of $104,500.

The man, a United States citizen, the narcotics, and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The second incident occurred in Salton City Tuesday morning at approximately 7:55 a.m., when a 59-year-old man driving a white Ford F-250 approached the checkpoint. A Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted to the truck. Agents sent the truck to secondary inspection for further investigation.

While in secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents discovered eight packages concealed in a hidden compartment in the rear bed of the truck and nine packages hidden in the rear passenger seat. Agents determined that the packages contained a substance that was consistent with the characteristics of methamphetamine.

The total weight of the narcotics discovered was approximately 66 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated value of $125,400.

The man, a Lawfully Permitted Resident (LPR), the narcotics and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The two apprehensions in under 24 hours totaled approximately 121 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated value of $229,900.

All arrested individuals are presumed innocent pending the outcome of legal proceedings.