San Diego, CA–U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa cargo crossing in San Diego found more than 550 pounds of methamphetamine and almost three pounds of cocaine hidden in a shipment of squash on April 28, officials said.
The incident occurred at about 7:45 p.m. when a 25-year-old Mexican driver applied for entry into the United States from Mexico at the Otay Mesa Cargo facility.
The driver presented a valid border crossing card, and the Customs and Border Protection officer referred the driver, bobtail truck, and shipment of squash aside for further inspection.
The truck was screened using the port’s imaging system that works as an x-ray machine to detect anomalies. Officers then sent the truck to the dock, where an officer with a human/narcotic detector dog screened the shipment, and the canine alerted to the pallets of squash.
Officers began inspecting within the boxes of squash and discovered 259 packages of methamphetamine and one package of cocaine blended within the produce. The total amount of narcotics that was extracted from the boxes of squash was 552.65 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of about $1.2 million and 2.78 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately an additional $39,000.
“Our officers are keen at detecting unusual behavior and utilizing our advanced technology to find narcotics,” said Anne Maricich, Customs and Border Protection Deputy Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “Smugglers will always try new, creative methods to smuggle narcotics, but our officers are always prepared for the unexpected.”
The driver was turned over to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.
Officers seized the bobtail truck and narcotics.
