U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers (CBP) announced Friday that it seized more than 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine that were hidden in a shipment of watermelons. The drug bust occurred May 18 at Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in California and was the second time within a week methamphetamines were seized at the facility.
CBP officers said that the total value of the narcotics confiscated in the latest bust is approximately $2.5 million, according to a press release. (RELATED: Feds Bust 27 Individuals In Massive Drug Ring That Chopped Off A Woman’s Hand)
CBP officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility discovered more than 1,100lbs of meth hidden within a shipment of watermelons on May 18 after a canine team alerted to the shipment. The estimated street value of the meth is approximately $2.5M.
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— CBP (@CBP) May 24, 2021
One of the dogs on the canine team identified the shipment of watermelons for the officers, according to the press release. Officers proceeded to search the cargo and found 193 packages and containers of methamphetamines wrapped in plastic hidden in the watermelon crates on the truck.
In addition to the drugs seized, CBP arrested the driver of the truck, a 47-year-old Mexican national, for the attempted smuggling of narcotics into the U.S. They also confiscated the tractor trailer.
“We don’t frequently see seizures of this size, but they are certainly a risk in the cargo environment,” said Anne Maricich, acting CBP director of field operations in San Diego. “Stopping over 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine is a critical act for the security and health of our nation.”
Smugglers have tried to hide narcotics in many different ways while crossing the southern border. Previously, CBP has confiscated drugs that were hidden in a variety of odd places such as pork tamales, spools of cable, sneakers, and fried fish, among other things.