A Mexican man was arrested after trying to cross the border into California with more than 400 pounds of cocaine hidden in a cucumber box, authorities said.
The smuggler, identified only as 33 years old, arrived at the port of Otay Mesa on September 15 with a tractor trailer carrying cucumbers, US Customs and Border Protection said.
During the inspection, however, CBP officers found 146 packages of cocaine hidden in the shipment of cucumbers.
In total, officers seized 401.68 pounds of cocaine from the truck.
The bust comes just two days after another Mexican national, 25, was arrested at the same port of entry while transporting gas tanks in a tractor trailer.
An examination of the gas tank revealed that it actually contained 663.15 pounds of liquid meth, which was seized through 22 five-gallon buckets, CBP said.
US Customs and Border Protection seized more than 400 pounds of cocaine hidden in a shipment of cucumbers. The drugs were smuggled by a Mexican man who tried to send a shipment past the port of Otay Mesa in southern California. VAT
The truck was flagged for inspection following a similar smuggling attempt last month.
Officials stated that the combined value of the cucumbers and drugs seized in September totaled more than $5.3 million.
The two Mexican men were arrested and placed in the custody of Homeland Security, which is investigating the case.
Just days before the cocaine was seized, officers arrested another Mexican who tried to smuggle 663 pounds of liquid meth. VAT
“The impact our CBP officers have on our agency and the broader community goes beyond the call of duty,” Rosa Hernandez, Director of the Port of Otay Mesa, said in a statement. “This seizure is a true testament to the diligent work ethic our officers possess.”
This is not the first time smugglers have been caught trying to sneak hundreds of pounds of drugs through the Otay Mesa port through vegetable crates.
In April, a 48-year-old driver was arrested after trying to smuggle about 800 pounds of fentanyl in a tractor-trailer hauling green beans.
As of August, CBP has seized nearly 90,000 pounds of drugs at the border this year, a sharp increase from the 60,046 pounds seized last year.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
