CBP finds $1.2 million worth of drugs in truck’s shipment of squash

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently discovered hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs hidden in a produce shipment entering the U.S. from Mexico.

At 7:45 p.m. on April 28, 2022, officers at the Otay Mesa cargo crossing in San Diego, California, encountered a 25 year old Mexican driver attempting to cross the border into the U.S. with a shipment of squash.

The driver presented a valid border crossing card. His vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection.

After using the port’s imaging system to scan the truck, a human/narcotic detector dog was brought in to inspect the vehicle. The dog alerted to the pallets of squash.

CBP officers inspected the load of squash and discovered 259 packages of methamphetamine and one package of cocaine comingled within the produce.

The total amount of drugs seized by CBP was 552.65 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of about $1.2 million and 2.78 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately an additional $39,000.

CBP also seized the truck.

Officers handed the driver over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further processing.

“Our officers are keen at detecting unusual behavior and utilizing our advanced technology to find narcotics,” said Anne Maricich, CBP Deputy Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “Smugglers will always try new, creative methods to smuggle narcotics, but our officers are always prepared for the unexpected.”