A woman traveling with her 6-year-old daughter through San Clemente was arrested after 28 pounds of methamphetamine were found in the car's gas tank, authorities said.
The 38-year-old woman, who was not identified, was pulled over on the 5 Freeway in San Clemente for an undisclosed reason when the discovery was made, officials said in a news release.
According to a statement from the U.S. Border Patrol, an agent conducted a vehicle stop on the woman's sedan while patrolling northbound Interstate 5, and the woman gave the agent permission to search her car, a 2003 Honda Accord.
During the search, the agent’s drug-sniffing dog became alert and the agent discovered 28 bundles, weighing nearly 30 pounds, of meth in the car's gas tank, officials said.
The woman was stopped near a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in San Clemente, that is routinely patrolled by agents, officials said.
The woman was booked into custody, while her child was placed under the care of local child protective services.
