Feds: Someone tried to do some high-end meth smuggling



9:02 am, Saturday, February 11, 2017

Feds make big meth bust at the border

Federal officials say they seized about a half-million dollars in methamphetamine after stopping a 1999 Mercedes-Benz at the Presidio border crossing between the U.S. and Mexico. The drugs were hidden in a secret compartment above the gas tank, officials say.

An attempt at a high-end bit of smuggling went wrong for someone.

Federal border officials say they seized 20 pounds of methamphetamine stashed in a compartment above the fuel tank of a Mercedes-Benz.

The seizure, on Feb. 8 at the Presidio border crossing between Texas and Mexico, is worth a half-million dollars, said Steven Green, port director at Presidio.

Border agents referred a 1999 Mercedes-Benz A160 driven by a Mexican citizen to secondary inspection point for a closer examination.

SMUGGLING TRICKS: The ways smugglers hide their goods while crossing the border

An X-Ray of the car showed anomalies in the vehicle, officials said. Agents took off a skid plate and found spray foam around the gas tank.

Under the foam, officials said, they found 16 bundles hidden above the fuel tank.

The 37-year-old man who was driving was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to face federal charges.

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