A Border Patrol K-9 in the San Diego Sector alerted to the presence of nearly eight pounds of cocaine hidden by an alleged Mexican drug smugger inside his car battery.

Agents assigned to an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 8 in southern California observed a red 2006 Ford Mustang approaching for inspection. During the initial inspection, agents learned the driver was a Mexican national traveling legally in the U.S. with a tourist visa, according to information obtained from San Diego Sector Border Patrol officials. The stop took place on Sunday afternoon, officials stated in a press release.

The agents referred the driver to a secondary inspection station where a K-9 “performed a sniff of the vehicle.” The K-9 alerted to the presence of an odor it is trained to detect near the front of the vehicle. Agents conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered three packages hidden inside the car’s battery.

Officials stated that the packages contained 7.85 pounds of cocaine — estimated to be worth $102,050.

The agents placed the 21-year-old Mexican national under arrest and seized the drugs and Mustang. They turned the evidence and the suspected drug smuggler over to Drug Enforcement Administration agents for investigation.

Border Patrol officials said that the San Diego Sector agents have seized nearly 864 pounds of cocaine this fiscal year. Fiscal Year 2019 began on October 1, 2018, and runs through September 30, 2019. Officials estimated the value of the seized cocaine at more than $8.6 million.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face book.