(RepublicanNews.org) – On August 4th, over $4 million in methamphetamine-laden vegetables were discovered in a tractor-trailer entering the United States from Mexico. The odd mixture of produce and drugs was uncovered by CBP officers at Texas’ Pharr International Bridge when the driver was ordered to pull his rig over for a closer secondary inspection.
Staff with the Office of Field Operations performed a physical search of the trailer and discovered almost 500 pounds worth of contraband. Inside more than 2,200 packages were vegetables packed with what CBP officers believed to be the illegal stimulant.
The OFO believes the street value of the seized drugs is approximately $4.36 million. CBP seized both the alleged drugs and the tractor-trailer.
Carlos Rodriguez, Port Director at Pharr, thanked the CPB officers behind the bust and said the “massive shipment” of drugs “will not” end up on “American streets.” Rodriguez cited the “intuition” of the involved officers and commended their use of every “available tool.”
Rodriguez’s statement said that organized criminal groups will always “attempt” smuggling operations in a “cargo environment,” but that Customs and Border Protection officers “will continue” thwarting their efforts.
Utilizing vegetables as a means of smuggling narcotics is not a new practice for criminal organizations. A recent June bust at a California crossing with Mexico netted a reported $38 million in seized methamphetamine. The vegetable of choice for said smugglers in the California instance was kale. Bananas and avocados have also been used before.
According to official numbers released by the CBP, drug seizures by weight have decreased significantly under President Joe Biden. During President Trump’s last year in office, a total of 1.1 million pounds of narcotics were intercepted.
During Biden’s first year in office, that number fell to 913 thousand pounds. Last year that number had fallen to 656 thousand pounds. The current tally for 2023 is 412 thousand pounds.
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