SALTON CITY, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working at the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint arrested a woman suspected of smuggling narcotics Wednesday afternoon.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:15 a.m., when a 27-year-old woman driving a red Chevy Aveo approached the checkpoint. A Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the vehicle. Agents sent the vehicle to secondary inspection for further investigation.

While in secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents discovered 34 packages hidden inside a compartment near the firewall of the engine. Agents determined that the substances was consistent with the characteristics of methamphetamine.

Agents pulled 34 packages of meth

from engine compartment of car.

The total weight of the narcotics discovered was 31.94 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated value of $ 60,686.

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