Drug smuggling attempt in car bumper detected

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Yuma Sector's Wellton Station found 33 pounds of marijuana hidden in a vehicle bumper at an Interstate checkpoint Wednesday night.

At about 11 p.m. a 29-year old man drove his 1997 Chevrolet Lumina up to the checkpoint on Interstate 8, according to a news release issued by the Border Patrol. During the initial checkpoint inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 team detected the presence of contraband, and the car and driver were sent to secondary inspection.

A secondary inspection of the vehicle revealed a hidden compartment located in the bumper, which contained plastic-wrapped bundles of marijuana.

The contraband weighed 33 pounds and had an estimated street value of $26,400.  

The marijuana, the vehicle and the suspect - a U.S. citizen - were turned over to Yuma County Narcotics Task Force.