Someone thought these meth packages disguised as watermelons could fool border control

[Coloroscopio]

Watermelon sugar high? Not quite. On Friday, August 16, US. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents uncovered a juicy plot at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego. What looked like a harmless shipment of summer’s favorite fruit turned out to be anything but refreshing.

 

A routine inspection bore fruit when CBP officers searched a tractor-trailer entering the United States from Mexico. Among the genuine watermelons stashed in there, they discovered 1,220 packages of methamphetamine, each disguised to blend in with the real deal. The faux gourds were wrapped in plastic and painted to mimic the distinctive green and white stripes of watermelons.

 

 

The seized narcotics tipped the scales at 4,587 pounds, with an estimated street value exceeding US$5 million.

 

The 29-year-old driver, whose identity has not been released, was promptly detained and handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further questioning. As for the truck and its deceptive cargo, they never made it past the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility.

 

 

“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,” noted Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa

 

It was a “seedy situation,” the CBP concludes. Luckily, it had a sweet ending for those on the right side of the law.

 

• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/08/21/watermelon-meth-seized-border/74884810007/ 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meth-fake-watermelon-celery-shipments-california-drug-trafficking/ 
• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-08-21/seedy-discovery-at-u-s-mexico-border-5-million-worth-of-meth-disguised-as-watermelons 
• https://nypost.com/2024/08/22/us-news/cbp-seizes-5m-worth-of-meth-disguised-as-watermelons/ 

 

 

Images: US Customs and Border Protection