Nearly 300 Pounds of Marijuana Seized

Two U.S. citizens and a Jamaican national were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of smuggling nearly 300 pounds of marijuana, a U.S. Border Patrol agent said.

The arrest happened around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when border patrol agents working at the Temecula checkpoint stopped two suspicious vehicles, one closely following the other, on southbound Interstate 15 near Mission Road.

Agents questioned the driver of a 2003 Volvo. He was a 22-year-old resident of Los Angeles. Agents also questioned the 31-year-old driver and 21-year-old passenger, both women, of a 2011 Chevrolet Impala.

"Agents became suspicious of the nervous demeanor and inconsistent answers of the three individuals," said Border Patrol Agent Michael Jimenez in a news release.

Trained dogs were then used to do a quick search. They alerted agents that drugs were present in both vehicles. After performing a more thorough search of the Volvo, Jimenez said agents discovered 63 cellophane-wrapped marijuana bundles with a total weight of 295 pounds. The street value of the drugs was estimated at about $177,000.

Upon searching the Impala, Jimenez said agents found about $25,000 in cash stashed in the center console.

"The suspected drug smugglers, narcotics, currency and Volvo were taken into custody and subsequently turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration," Jimenez said.

About 140 border patrol agents work out of the Murrieta station, which is responsible for running the Temecula checkpoint.