Border officials in Otay Mesa discovered more than 600 pounds of methamphetamine inside a shipment of celery, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced this week.
According to CBP, the discovery was made on Aug. 9, when officers encountered the driver of a commercial tractor-trailer seeking to enter the United States from Mexico.
A press release by CBP said officers asked the 34-year-old driver for a secondary inspection of his cargo and that’s when a CBP K-9 unit found the 508 packages of methamphetamine hidden among the celery. Officers said the total weight of narcotics was 629.72 pounds, an estimated value of $755,000.
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"Our officers' vigilance and expertise once again thwarted an attempt to smuggle narcotics disguised as everyday produce," said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa.
CBP officers seized the drugs and commercial tractor-trailer. The driver was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations.
According to CBP, the seizure is part of Operation Apollo, a multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States that began on Oct. 26, 2023.
