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Here’s a tip for smugglers trying to sneak drugs into the U.S.: hiding them in food shipments won’t work. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will find them.
Just last Sunday, CBP agents made a big bust.
Around 12:35 p.m. at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in California, they seized 378 pounds of methamphetamine. The street value? An eye-popping $453,600. And where were these drugs hidden? Among fresh tomatillos.
The whole operation started when a 35-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer arrived. He had a manifest claiming he was transporting tomatillos from Mexico. The driver held a valid border crossing card but was still sent for further inspection.
During this secondary check, officers used advanced scanning technology. They noticed some irregularities, which led them to dig deeper into the shipment.
And guess what? They found 50 packages hidden within the tomatillos. Inside those packages? A whopping 378 pounds of meth.
After making the discovery, CBP officers seized both the drugs and the truck. The driver was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations.
Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa, praised her team. “The dedication and vigilance demonstrated by our officers in protecting our nation’s borders while enhancing economic prosperity truly reflect the culture and values of CBP,” she said.
This incident underscores how criminal organizations try to smuggle narcotics using agricultural products. But CBP officers are skilled at spotting such tricks and preventing harmful drugs from entering our country.
So whether it’s lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, squash, or tomatillos, CBP will find those hidden drugs.
Weekly Stats are here! 🗞️
A GREAT start into August. #SDFO @CBP officers thwarted 1,324 lbs. of dangerous drugs from entering our country. Seizing over $2 million dollars' worth of narcotics during 07/29-08/04.Meth-1,204 lbs.
Fentanyl-96lbs.
Cocaine-8 lbs.
Heroin-15 lbs. pic.twitter.com/5I77AkqAxf— Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki (@DFOSanDiegoCA) August 8, 2024
So next time you think about smuggling drugs in food shipments, remember: CBP is watching.
