INDIO, Calif. – On July 25, at approximately 11:45 p.m., El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a 28-year-old female U.S. citizen for smuggling approximately 51 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at an estimated $83,312. The arrest occurred after Indio Station agents stopped a vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 10 in Indio, occupied by the woman and her child.
A Border Patrol K-9 team, trained to detect concealed people and illegal drugs, alerted agents to the vehicle. A search revealed 50 wrapped bundles of methamphetamine hidden in multiple quarter panels of the SUV. The driver, child, vehicle, and suspected drugs were transported to the Indio Border Patrol Station for further processing, where the drugs were confirmed to weigh 50.82 pounds.
El Centro Sector Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino condemned the use of a child in the smuggling attempt, stating, “A child and 50 pounds of methamphetamine — a sure sign of smuggler depravity.” He compared the incident to a recent case where smugglers left a mother and her young daughter in the desert.
The child was released to their grandfather, while the woman, vehicle, and drugs were handed over to local law enforcement for further investigation. This seizure is part of Operation Apollo, a comprehensive counter-fentanyl initiative that began in southern California and expanded to Arizona, focusing on intelligence collection, partnerships, and targeting smuggling operations.PR by Gerrelaine Alcordo