OTAY MESA, Calif. – Take a look at these pictures. Do these look like watermelons or illegal drugs?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility said they seized more than $5 million worth of methamphetamine disguised and concealed within a shipment of watermelons.
CBP officers stopped a commercial tractor-trailer driven by a 29-year-old man. A closer inspection revealed 1,220 packages, each wrapped in paper to resemble watermelons. However, CBP said that testing confirmed that the packages contained methamphetamine, with a total weight of 4,587 pounds. The estimated street value of the seized drugs exceeds $5 million.
“As drug cartels continue to evolve their smuggling techniques, we will continue finding new and better ways to prevent these dangerous drugs and other contraband from entering the country,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa.
