Wellton, Arizona - U.S. Border Patrol agents working at the Interstate 8 Immigration Checkpoint seized more than $113K in meth during an attempted smuggling event Saturday morning.

At approximately 8:10 A.M. on Saturday, Wellton Station agents working the checkpoint referred a black 2005 Mazda 3 to the secondary inspection area following a Border Patrol canine alert. Agents discovered numerous packages of methamphetamine hidden in the rocker panels and gas tank of the vehicle. The narcotics had an approximate weight of 49.33 pounds and an estimated street value of $113,459.

The driver, a 24-year-old U.S. citizen from Yuma, was arrested for transportation of a controlled substance.

The U.S. Border Patrol’s immigration checkpoints are an integral part of our in-depth approach to mitigating the risk of illicit cross-border narcotics traffic from flowing into the heart of America.