$4.3M worth of crystal meth found hidden in shipment of fresh pickles
(Packages containing 217 pounds of methamphetamine seized by CBP officers at Pharr International Bridge; Image credit: CBP)
The Department of Homeland Security reported that the agency’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection division (CBP) working out of the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in Pharr, Texas, intercepted a load of alleged methamphetamine worth $4,343,000 being smuggled in a commercial shipment of fresh produce.
That produce was identified as being 114 packages of fresh pickles – all containing quantities of crystal meth. The packages were intercepted and confiscated on a tractor-trailer trying to cross the border into the U.S. on April 17 by border officials.
“This substantial quantity of hard narcotics will not make its final destination in the United States,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.
“This interdiction reinforces our officers’ role in advancing CBP’s border security mission by preventing dangerous drugs from entering and negatively impacting our communities.”
On April 17, CBP officers assigned to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility referred a tractor/trailer hauling a commercial shipment of fresh cucumber pickles for a more thorough examination. After conducting a non-intrusive imaging (NII) system inspection, officers discovered 114 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 217 pounds concealed within the trailer.
CBP OFO seized the narcotics and the tractor/trailer. The case remains under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
More Meth:
On April 24, CPB agents reported seizing more than 66 pounds of methamphetamine from a traffic stop on Tuesday afternoon. The incident began at 3 p.m. when agents patrolling Interstate 5 stopped a driver in a gray Ford Escape.
Agents questioned the 28-year-old male U.S. citizen driver, and then deployed a service canine to conduct an exterior sniff of the vehicle.
The canine alerted to the rear of the vehicle. Physically inspecting the SUV cargo area, agents discovered a large bin filled with plastic-wrapped bundles consistent with narcotics trafficking.
The man was placed under arrest and transported to a nearby USBP station for processing. Agents probed one of the bundles, revealing a white, crystalline substance which was determined to be methamphetamine. The bundles weighed approximately 66 pounds and have an estimated street value of $118,800. The driver and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation and prosecution. The vehicle was seized by USBP.
The seizure follows another seizure on Monday when agents found 19 pounds of cocaine hidden in bundles in the backseat and dashboard of a Jeep Liberty.
“As of October 1, 2020, San Diego Sector agents have seized more than 1,000 pounds of meth, and stopped this and other narcotics from entering our communities,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke. “Border security saves American lives, plain and simple.”
(Source: CBP)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
