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Category: Imperial Valley

Calexico, California - Tuesday, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Calexico Station arrested three Mexican citizen men for suspected drug smuggling after discovering more than 145 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle.

At approximately 10 p.m., Border Patrol agents observed two individuals swim across the All-American Canal with three large burlap sacks.  The men continued north along an irrigation canal towards a field road.

Shortly before 11 p.m., agents observed a 36- year-old male driving a 2003 Dodge Ram, stop and picked up the two men and the burlap sacks and drove off.

Border Patrol agents pulled the vehicle over at the intersection of Menvielle and Carr Road. Border Patrol agents encountered two men, a 17-year-old and a 45-year-old in the truck bed. Agents also discovered 145.1 pounds of marijuana with an estimated value of more than $87,000.

The men, vehicle and marijuana were turned over to the Imperial County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force for further investigation.

Last fiscal year, El Centro Sector seized more than 5,700 pounds of marijuana.