Black Tar Heroin, Meth Found in I-15 Border Patrol Stop, Agency Reports

TEMECULA, CA – United States Border Patrol agents intercepted a narcotics haul worth more than $160,000 this week along Interstate 15, south of Temecula, agency officials report.

According to Mary Beth Caston of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents stopped a 2005 Nissan Altima near the intersection of I-15 and State Route 76 around 12:30 p.m. on Monday.

"A K-9 sniff of the man’s car resulted in a positive alert," she said in a news release. "The agents searched the vehicle and discovered 23 packages stuffed inside the back seats of the car. One seat had seven bundles, the other had 16 bundles."

Caston said the packages were revealed to be black tar heroin and methamphetamine. Two of the bundles contained 7.03 pounds of heroin and 21 of the bundles contained 27.16 pounds of meth – which have and estimated street value of $169,674.

Both the man and the drugs were handed over to the DEA, while the Nissan was seized by Border Patrol, Caston said.

The man was identified as a Mexican national, but his name was not disclosed.

Images courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)