100 Pounds Of Meth Seized By Border Patrol Near Temecula

TEMECULA, CA — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent patrolling Interstate 15 near Temecula arrested a man who was transporting more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine, the CBP announced Monday.

The arrest came late Friday morning after the agent spotted "a suspicious" 2001 Green Ford Explorer on the busy freeway. The driver, later determined to be a 34-year-old U.S. citizen, exited onto Highway 395 and parked at a gas station in Rainbow.

The agent approached the driver and began a conversation while his CBP K-9 sniffed out the Explorer's exterior. The dog alerted the agent to drugs, and a vehicle search turned up 96 packages of meth inside the vehicle's gas tank, spare tire and quarter panels, according to a CBP statement.

"With a weight of 101.31 pounds, the meth is valued at approximately $191,900," the CBP said.

The vehicle was seized and the man arrested. He faces charges of narcotics trafficking.