DAILY EXPRESS US – US Customs and Border Protection officers in California, with the help of drug-sniffing dogs, have seized nearly six tons of methamphetamine worth over $18 million hidden inside a shipment of squash this week.
A total of 1,419 packages of the illicit drugs, weighing about 11,469 pounds, were found hidden inside the squash shipment, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Wednesday.
The seizure took place just before 7am local time on Monday, when CBP officers encountered a 44-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer transporting what was thought to be a shipment of squash.
The driver was stopped at the Otay Mesa port in San Diego, California, where he was requested by officers to allow them to conduct further examination of the vehicle and shipment.
The driver, who had a border crossing card, is in custody of the Homeland Security Investigation
“Some fruits and vegetables produced in Mexico are destined primarily for the US. For example, up to half of the tomatoes, lettuce, watermelons, avocados, and strawberries that are grown in Mexico, and up to 75 percent of the asparagus, broccoli, and cucumbers grown in Mexico, are exported to the US.” – Rural Migration News, Oct 10, 2023
After a full preliminary scan of the tractor-trailer, which included an X-ray scan, detected “irregularities,” CBP officers dispatched a sniffer dog that responded and alerted them to the presence of narcotics.
The illicit drugs – which have an estimated street value of $18,350,400 million – and the commercial tractor-trailer was seized following the discovery.
The driver – whose identity has not yet been disclosed – had a valid border crossing card, according to the CBP …
