San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents intercepted a drug smuggling operation on Sunday, seizing more than 52 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside the spare tire of a side-by-side utility terrain vehicle near Boulevard, California.
According to authorities, at approximately 12:40 p.m., agents saw an individual climbing over the border wall and entering a UTV. The vehicle was stopped as it traveled north on Jewel Valley Road. The driver was identified as a U.S. citizen and the passenger as a Mexican national holding a valid visa.
During questioning, a K-9 team performed an exterior sniff of the vehicle and alerted agents to possible narcotics. A search led to the discovery of 51 cellophane-wrapped bundles in the spare tire. The suspects, along with the UTV and bundles, were taken to a Border Patrol station where tests confirmed they contained 52.36 pounds of methamphetamine…