Border officers in Southern California made a significant drug bust, seizing almost 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value in the millions of dollars. The drugs were discovered concealed within a shipment of carrots at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility near San Diego, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The interception took place just before noon on a Sunday when CBP officers stopped a 44-year-old man driving a commercial tractor trailer loaded with a shipment listed as carrots. Despite the driver possessing a valid border crossing card, suspicions arose, leading to a secondary inspection of both the driver and the cargo.
Upon unloading the supposed carrot shipment for a thorough examination, officers unearthed a startling discovery. Hidden beneath the layers of carrots were hundreds of suspicious orange-colored packages. Subsequent testing confirmed the contents of these packages to be methamphetamine.
The total haul amounted to 574 packages of meth, weighing approximately 2,900 pounds. CBP officials emphasized the immense value of the seized drugs, estimating it to be worth millions of dollars.
Rosa E. Hernandez, the port director for Otay Mesa Port of Entry, commended the CBP officers for their exceptional work in combating drug trafficking while facilitating legal trade and travel. The driver was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further scrutiny, although no additional details about the individual were disclosed at the time.
Since the commencement of fiscal year 2024 in October, CBP has already confiscated over 49,000 pounds of methamphetamine. This recent seizure adds to the significant efforts made by border officers, who in the entirety of fiscal year 2023, seized around 140,000 pounds of methamphetamine.
