Drug smuggling alleged at checkpoint

A U.S. citizen was arrested Tuesday evening for allegedly trying to smuggle marijuana through an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 8.

"This is one of the first attempts that we have had in a while of someone trying to smuggle drugs through a checkpoint," said Border Patrol Agent Shaun Kuzia, a spokesman for the Yuma Sector.

Kuzia said that at about 5:30 p.m., a young adult male driving a 1998 Ford sport utility vehicle pulled into the checkpoint near Dateland.

While in the checkpoint's primary inspection lane, Kuzia said, agents noticed that he appeared to be acting very nervous. So they referred the driver and vehicle to secondary inspection.

During a follow-up inspection, "the K-9 agent alerted to the rear of the vehicle where the spare tire was located underneath the vehicle," Kuzia said.

Kuzia said when agents removed the spare tire, they noticed it was too small to fit the vehicle.

A closer examination by agents, Kuzia said, revealed seven plastic-wrapped bundles of marijuana hidden inside the tire.

Agents arrested the 19-year-old driver and seized 26.9 pounds of marijuana that had an estimated street value of $21,520.

Border Patrol agents also turned the driver and marijuana over to the Yuma County Narcotics Task Force.