Border Patrol agents arrested a 23-year-old man in Salton City after he allegedly tried to smuggle 1.25 pounds of heroin by hiding the narcotics in his shoes, authorities said Thursday.
The incident occurred Wednesday around 4:30 p.m. when the agents encountered the suspected drug smuggler on a commercial bus at the Highway 86 checkpoint, a news release from the El Centro Sector Border Patrol stated. The area is about 60 miles from the United Stated-Mexico border, according to Google Maps.
Agents conducting an immigration check on the bus noticed the passenger’s “nervous demeanor,” officials said in the release.
During a pat-down of the subject, they discovered two packages of heroin, the release stated. The packages had a combined weight of 1.25 pounds and were worth an estimated $15,000.
The man, identified only as a U.S. citizen, was turned over to the custody of the Drug Enforcement Administration and would be investigated further, according to the Border Patrol.
No additional information about the incident has been released.