Border Patrol Arrests Siblings Suspected of Smuggling $700K in Cocaine

U.S. Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 5 checkpoint in San Clemente apprehended a man and woman Thursday who had 54 pounds of cocaine inside their vehicle.

At approximately 7 a.m., agents at the checkpoint encountered a 33-year-old driver in a 2003 Ford Explorer. The man and his 27-year-old passenger indicated they were in the U.S. to shop. The two were referred for a secondary inspection. 

In secondary, a K-9 performed a sniff of the vehicle, resulting in a positive alert.  Agents searched the vehicle and discovered 20 bundles of narcotics hidden beneath the floor in the hatchback area of the SUV. The cocaine bundles weighed 54.01 pounds and are valued at $702,130. 

The two Mexican national suspects were later identified as brother and sister.  The siblings and narcotics were turned over to Drug Enforcement Administration officials and face drug smuggling charges. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders.  To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at 619-498-9900.

—U.S. Border Patrol