US Border Agency Discovers Over $5 Million Worth of Crystal Meth Hidden in Watermelons in California | US News
According to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, more than $5m worth of methamphetamines was seized in California disguised as hundreds of watermelons.
The drugs were discovered when a 29-year-old man was found with the shipment in his tractor-trailer at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in San Diego on Friday.
The man claimed he was transporting cases of watermelons across the border from Mexico, but CBP officers decided to conduct further examination at a secondary inspection area.
The seized packages. Pic: US Customs and Border Protection
The shipment was found to consist of 1,220 packages disguised as watermelons, but upon testing, they were identified as methamphetamines with a total weight of 4,587lbs (2,080kg).
The agency estimated the street value to exceed $5m (£3.8m).
Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, is a highly addictive drug more prevalent in the US than in the UK.
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The CPB officers confiscated the narcotics and the tractor-trailer, turning the driver over to the Homeland Security Investigations agency.
Rosa E Hernandez, the port director for the area port of Otay Mesa, praised the team’s efforts in uncovering elaborate smuggling methods and reiterated their commitment to preventing dangerous drugs from entering the country.
In a separate release, the agency noted intercepting 629lb (285kg) of the same drug hidden in a shipment of celery just a week prior.
