In fake watermelons and shipments of celery and fresh tomatillos, drug traffickers unsuccessfully attempted to smuggle a total of 5,600 pounds of methamphetamines across the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa, California, border crossing discovered the drug contraband during routine inspections of trucks carrying commercial cargo.
Fake Watermelons
An inspection of a suspected shipment of watermelons resulted in a seizure of more than $5 million in methamphetamine.
As reported by CBP, the seizure occurred when Customs officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility interviewed a 29-year-old man driving a commercial truck seeking to enter the United States from Mexico, carrying a shipment with a manifest of watermelons.
CBP agents referred the driver, the commercial truck, and the cargo for further secondary inspection.
After a thorough search, agents discovered 1,220 paper-wrapped packages camouflaged within the shipment, resembling watermelons in shape and color.
The contents of the packages were analyzed and identified as methamphetamine, with a total weight of 4,587 pounds. The estimated street value of the drug exceeds $5 million.
CBP officers seized the narcotics and the commercial truck and turned the driver over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
“I am incredibly proud of our team for their exceptional work over the past several weeks in uncovering sophisticated and diverse smuggling methods,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director of the Otay Mesa Port Area. “As the drug cartels continue to evolve their smuggling techniques, we will continue to find new and better ways to prevent these dangerous drugs and other contraband from entering the country.”
Related Article: Requirements to Import Agricultural Products Into the U.S.
CBP Found More than 600 Pounds of Meth Hidden in Celery Shipment
Following routine procedures on the evening of Aug. 9, CBP agents ordered a 34-year-old driver of a commercial truck carrying a load of celery to a secondary inspection for further review.
During the secondary inspection, the authorities unloaded the celery shipment and brought a CBP K-9 unit to examine the product. The trained dog alerted the agents to the presence of narcotics.
Upon close inspection, agents discovered 508 packages hidden among the celery. Tests confirmed that the packages contained methamphetamine, with a total weight of 629.72 pounds and an estimated street value of $755,000.
Not All of it Was Fresh Tomatillos
In early August, CBP officers in the secondary inspection area of the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility used nonintrusive scanning technology to search a commercial truck carrying fresh tomatillos thoroughly.
CBP reported that agents observed irregularities and further examined the shipment. They discovered and removed 50 packages concealed within the fresh tomatillo shipment.
The contents of the packages were analyzed and identified as methamphetamine, with a total weight of 378 pounds and an estimated street value of $453,600. Homeland Security Investigations took the 35-year-old driver into custody for further investigation.