Border Agents Seize 600 Pounds of Meth Hidden In Celery

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized over 600 pounds of meth stashed inside a shipment of celery.

CBP officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility discovered the drug haul during a routine check on vehicles on August 9.

The estimated street value of the drug is thought to be $755,000, according to the CBP.

Officers stationed at the facility encountered a tractor trailer entering the U.S. from Mexico.

The driver, who held a valid border crossing card, was transporting narcotics under the guise of food.

The 34-year-old man was driving a commercial tractor-trailer when he was caught smuggling drugs as he tried to enter the country.

Following a routine inspection, CBP officers referred the driver, tractor-trailer, and cargo for secondary inspection.

During a further inspection, officers uncovered 508 packages containing alleged methamphetamine weighing 629.72 pounds hidden within the shipment of food produce.

A CBP K-9 helped officers detect the drugs and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.

The contents of the packages tested positive for methamphetamine.

Homeland Security Investigations has launched a criminal investigation, and inquiries remain ongoing. CBP officers regularly work alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts to halt the smuggling of narcotics.

“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.

“This discovery underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from the perils of drug trafficking.”

The latest CBP drug bust comes as meth seizures have already surpassed last year’s total amount seized.

Over 145,698 pounds of methamphetamine have been seized nationwide in 2024 so far, which has surpassed the total amount confiscated in 2023.

Law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border seized 132,655 pounds of meth in the Southwest border alone in the 2023-2024 fiscal year as of July 2024.

California and Texas, two border states, have the highest number of meth users.

Meth is a highly addictive and powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Meth is usually used as a white, bitter-tasting powder or a pill. Crystal meth is a version of the substance that looks like glass fragments or shiny blue-white rocks.

The vast majority of meth entering the U.S. is produced by cartels in Mexico, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The drug is designed in clandestine laboratories and is intended to be potent and cheap.

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