Border Patrol agents at the Otay Mesa facility seized a shipment of nearly 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine disguised as watermelons -- an amount worth more than $5 million, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The large discovery was made last Friday when CBP officers asked the driver of a commercial tractor-trailer for a secondary inspection.
CBP officers said the 29-year-old driver was bringing the shipment from Mexico. During the second inspection, authorities discovered 1,200 packages disguised as watermelons, which was confirmed to be a total weight of 4,587 pounds of methamphetamine.
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The shipment was estimated to be worth more than $5 million. The driver was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations.
CBP also announced the seizure of nearly 600 pounds of methamphetamine inside a shipment of celery on Aug. 9 at the same location. In this instance, a 34-year-old man was taken into custody. The street value of this discovery was estimated to be $755,000.
"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.
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.
