In a routine but sharp operation by the El Centro Sector Border Patrol, a young woman's high-stakes bid to smuggle millions in cocaine has been busted wide open. During a checkpoint stop in Indio, California, a vigilant K-9 unit sniffed out a whopping 34 pounds of cocaine, with a street value of a cool $395,000, hidden in a black sedan's trunk.
The bust went down on Tuesday evening when the 20-year-old driver, an American citizen, was directed to a secondary inspection zone after first being stopped at the immigration checkpoint on Highway 86 according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release. The drug-sniffing dog then signaled her vehicle, leading officers to find and unwrap a black bag filled with 15 packages of cocaine wrapped in what was described as brown paper consistent with drug smuggling practices.
Testing confirmed that the packages contained pure cocaine, the woman was promptly arrested and is now facing charges of transporting a controlled substance; her future and fate now hang in the uncertain balance of the justice system’s hands. All evidence, including the narcotics and the vehicle, has been handed over to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which has taken over the ongoing investigation and subsequent prosecution.
El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino didn't mince words about the seizure, "This suspected drug smuggler probably wasn't planning on building a snowman with these 34 pounds of cocaine," he said, jokingly indicating that whatever grand plans the suspect had in mind were dashed by the sharp eyes and noses of his team and clinics, as he told the press, "Instead, her plans were melted down when vigilant Indio Station Border Patrol agents thwarted her attempt," Bovino emphasized his pride in the agents' work.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, functions as the unified agency within the Department of Homeland Security tasked with the management and protection of America's borders. They oversee customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection -- working tirelessly to stop illegal activities at and between official ports of entry into the United States.
