Salton City, Calif. –El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station apprehended a suspected narcotics smuggler yesterday at the Highway 86 checkpoint and seized over two pounds of cocaine hidden in shoes.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m., when agents encountered a woman driving a 1996 Toyota Rav 4 through the Highway 86 checkpoint, located between Westmorland and Salton City. After brief questioning the driver of the vehicle, a female United States Citizen, told agents she was smuggling an unknown substance in her shoes.
A search of her shoes revealed two small packages wrapped in brown tape. The substance found inside tested positive for cocaine. The cocaine had a combined weight of approximately 2.34 pounds with an estimated street value of $64,000.
The women, was arrested as the sole suspect in the case. The suspect, vehicle, and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.