El Centro, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector seized more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana from a vehicle Friday morning.
Agents attempted to conduct a vehicle stop on a sport-utility vehicle that was traveling north on Highway 111 near Ross Avenue. The vehicle failed to yield for the agents and fled toward the international border. Agents continued to follow the vehicle until it stopped once it neared the border. The two occupants jumped from the vehicle and fled into Mexico.
The Border Patrol contacted the Mexican authorities who located and arrested the two occupants near the border.
El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey A. Calhoon praised agents for their continued diligence and commented on the effectiveness of the Border Patrol’s bi-national law enforcement partnerships. “The suspects’ apprehension upon their return to Mexico exemplifies how the United States and Mexican authorities work together to prevent dangerous drugs and criminals from entering our communities,” he said.
Agents discovered 46 packages of marijuana inside the vehicle weighing more than 1,000 pounds with an estimated street value of more than $800,000. The vehicle and contraband were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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Fair, 54 °FWEEKLY-CHRON Vol.106 No.5
