Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection found nearly $3 million in methamphetamine hidden inside a load of onions that had crossed the Mexican/U.S. border on Feb. 20.
The meth was discovered during a search at the Otay Mesa commercial facility.
Some 1,200 round, white packages were inside the load, according to the release from CBP published Feb. 25 at https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-officers-seize-meth-disguised-onions
The release said, “At approximately 1 p.m. on Feb. 20, CBP officers encountered a 46-year-old driver of a tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested as onions. During the inspection, a CBP officer referred the driver along with the conveyance for a more intensive examination.
During the exam, a CBP canine team screened the truck and trailer and the detector dog alerted to the shipment.”
During the search, agents found “1,197 packages of methamphetamine mixed with the onions in sacks. The packages of methamphetamine were shaped into small globes with a white covering, designed to blend into the onions they were hidden with.”
All told, the officers found more than 1,336 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of about $2.9 million.
DBP San Diego Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki called the smuggling attempt “clever” and “time-consuming,” adding, “These efforts show how effective our officers are, and as a response, the lengths drug trafficking organizations are willing to go to as they try to smuggle narcotics into the U.S. While we have certainly seen narcotics in produce before, it’s unusual for us to see this level of detail in the concealment.”
The driver was arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt. CBP officers turned the driver, a Mexican citizen, over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) for further disposition.
of Entry when agents $1.4 million of meth inside. In 40 bundles, the 614 pounds of drugs were discovered with the use of an imaging system and dogs. The driver, who was turned over to Homeland Security, opted rather than telling his load green onions to say was hauling mint leaves and spices.
And in April 2021 a major meth bust occurred at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas when CBP intercepted a load worth more than $4 million in a shipment of fresh produce.
CBP published a release at https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-field-operations-pharr-international-bridge-seizes-over-4-million.
Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas, said, “This substantial quantity of hard narcotics will not make its final destination in the United States. This interdiction reinforces our officers’ role in advancing CBP’s border security mission by preventing dangerous drugs from entering and negatively impacting our communities.”
The 217 pounds of meth were hidden in a commercial shipment of fresh cucumber pickles. “After conducting a non-intrusive imaging system inspection, officers discovered 114 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 217 pounds concealed within the trailer,” the release said.
CBP OFO seized the narcotics and the tractor/trailer, and an investigation was launched by Homeland Security.
