218 gallons of meth found in car gas tank by border agents in California

Border Patrol agents seized some 218 pounds of liquid meth worth $328K
A man, 21, was suspected of smuggling narcotics at a California checkpoint
Two days later, Texas agents seized $3M worth of meth hidden in a bumper

Updated: Dec 4, 2023 / 07:44 AM CST

(NewsNation) — El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents seized 218 pounds of liquid methamphetamine found inside the gas tank of a vehicle attempting to smuggle the drug through a California checkpoint, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said.

Agents working at the Highway 86 checkpoint arrested a 21-year-old man suspected of smuggling the narcotics, with an estimated street value of $328,000, around 2:45 p.m. on Nov. 27, according to a CBP release.

The drugs were discovered when the man approached the checkpoint in his blue SUV and a K-9 detection team trained to detect concealed people and narcotics alerted to the vehicle, according to the release.

While in a secondary inspection, agents inspected the gas tank and discovered crystallized liquid inside the tank. Testing of the liquid confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, according to the release.

The driver, drugs, and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation and processing, according to the CBP release.

In Texas, agents seized over $3 million worth of methamphetamine hidden inside the bumper of a vehicle during a traffic stop in South Texas outside Laredo, on Nov. 29, CBP officials said.