EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — A 20-year-old DACA recipient allegedly attempted to smuggle methamphetamine through a Border Patrol checkpoint in California.
According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release, the incident occurred just before 10 a.m. Friday at the Salton Sea checkpoint on Highway 86, about an hour’s drive from the U.S.-Mexico border.
A drug-sniffing dog alerted border agents to the Nissan Altima driven by the unidentified 20-year-old. During a secondary inspection, agents said they found nine wrapped packages inside battery-charging boxes. Agents later determined that the packages contained 29 pounds of meth valued at $65,250.
Agents arrested the 20-year-old and the passenger, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen.
A check of his record determined that the 20-year-old was a recipient of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which shields young people who were brought into the U.S. illegally as children from deportation. In many cases, a conviction for a felony offense or significant misdemeanor offense disqualifies an individual from receiving DACA protection.
The Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of both individuals, the narcotics, and the vehicle.
