Following a K-9 alert, agents discovered 33 bundles of meth in the stake bed of a 2007 Ford F-150. (U.S. Border Patrol)
TEMECULA, Calif. - A 55-year-old man was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents for smuggling more than 143 pounds of meth on the 15 Freeway in Temecula, officials said.
Border Patrol agents stopped the driver of a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck traveling northbound to conduct a traffic stop Sunday night around 9:15 p.m.
While agents searched the outside of the truck, a Border Patrol K-9 was able to detect the smell of narcotics. While conducting a thorough search, agents discovered 33 bundles of methamphetamine hidden inside the wood paneling of the vehicle's stake bed.
The 33 packages of meth weighed 143.88 pounds and have an estimated street value of $330,924. (Courtesy: U.S. Border Patrol)
The bundles of methamphetamine weighed 143.88 pounds and had an estimated street value of $330,640, according to U.S. Border Patrol.
The suspect, a U.S. resident, was arrested and the vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
His identity was not released.
The narcotics were turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office Special Investigation Bureau Southwest Take Force.