The U.S. Border Patrol reports agents assigned to its Bonners Ferry Station seized five duffel bags of narcotics valued at approximately $2.16 million just south of the United States/Canada border on Friday (Oct. 23).

Two people who fled into Canada, not far from the Kingsgate border crossing, were quickly apprehended by RCMP.

“Border Patrol agents were alerted to suspicious activity on a remote forest service road near the Canadian border. An agent responded to the area and located two individuals who were concealing themselves.  As the agent approached the individuals, they fled into Canada.  The agent located the duffel bags near the location where the individuals were hiding.  The duffel bags were found to contain 84 pounds of cocaine, valued at approximately $1.2 million and 198 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at approximately $960,000,” the U.S. Border Patrol reported.

Border Patrol provided the Idaho State Police with a description of the vehicle, a dark coloured Range Rover, which was observed leaving the area of the smuggling event.  Idaho State Police quickly located the suspect vehicle along Highway 95.  The driver was taken into custody in connection with the narcotics smuggling and the vehicle was seized by Border Patrol.

“The two individuals who fled into Canada were apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and are being held pending further investigation. The U.S. Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration are collaborating on this investigation and pending criminal charges on the subject arrested in the United States.  The U.S. Border Patrol is also working with RCMP regarding the two subjects arrested in Canada,” the border patrol said.

“Cocaine and Methamphetamine are ravaging our communities,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent David BeMiller. “Border Patrol agents are committed to preventing dangerous drugs and associated crime from destroying families and communities on both sides of the border.”

The Bonners Ferry Border Patrol Station was completed in 2013, providing agents with a state-of-the-art facility, including K9 kennels, horse paddocks and an indoor horse arena. More than 90% of the Bonners Ferry Station’s area of responsibility is heavily forested among the Selkirk, Purcell and Cabinet Mountains. Agents of the Bonners Ferry Station patrol from Priest River located in northwestern Idaho to the Yaak Mountains of western Montana.

Lead image: The duffel bags were found to contain 84 pounds of cocaine, valued at approximately $1.2 million and 198 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at approximately $960,000. U.S. Border Patrol photos

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