Agents find 52 pounds of meth hidden in spare tire at California border, feds say

Border Patrol agents uncovered 52 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a spare tire near the California-Mexico border, federal officials reported.

Agents spotted someone climb over a border wall near Boulevard, which is about a 60-mile drive east from San Diego, and drive off on a side-by-side utility terrain vehicle at 12:40 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said in a news release.

Agents stopped the UTV nearby and a K-9 detected narcotics, officials said.

Agents found 51 cellophane-wrapped bundles inside the UTV’s spare tire, officials said. The bundles contained 52.36 pounds of methamphetamine, according to the release.

The driver, a U.S. citizen, and passenger, a Mexican citizen with a valid visa, were taken into custody by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, border agents said.

This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Agents find 52 pounds of meth hidden in spare tire at California border, feds say."