Big Idea:

• Two United States citizens from Holtville, CA attempted to go through the immigration checkpoint
• The driver was 38 years old, the passenger was 36 years old
• A canine sniff of the vehicle’s exterior rendered a positive alert
• The estimated street value was $57K for the heroin, and $4K for the fentanyl

YUMA, Ariz. – Wellton Station Border Patrol agents working at the immigration checkpoint on Interstate 8 arrested two United States citizens from Holtville, Calif., attempting to smuggle heroin and fentanyl.

Sunday evening, a Border Patrol agent referred a Dodge Ram pickup for secondary inspection. A canine sniff of the vehicle’s exterior rendered a positive alert. A search of the vehicle revealed a box on the front seat floorboard containing 20 packages of heroin and a package of fentanyl. The estimated street value of the narcotics was over $57,000 for the heroin and $4,000 for the fentanyl.

The driver, a 38-year-old male, and the passenger, a 36-year-old male, were arrested on drug smuggling charges, while the narcotics and vehicle were seized.

Immigration checkpoints safeguard the physical security of the American people.  Checkpoints provide an additional means of interdiction.  Not only do they assist in apprehending illegal aliens that evaded detection at the border, but they also help curb illegal activity and reduce the amount of dangerous narcotics that reach our communities.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.