Meth haul disguised as watermelons fails to fool US border agents
US border agents have intercepted a truck at the Otay Mesa crossing carrying more than $5 million worth of methamphetamine cleverly hidden among real watermelons. The drugs, wrapped in plastic and painted in green to resemble the fruit, totaled over two tonnes and were stashed in 1,220 packages.
Disguising drugs among produce is a common tactic for smugglers, with narcotics previously found in shipments of bananas, Gouda cheese, and avocados. The driver of the truck has been handed over to Homeland Security.
This bust follows another recent discovery at the same border crossing, where officials found nearly 300kg of meth hidden in a shipment of celery. Combined, these two seizures are valued at $6 million.
Mexican drug cartels, the primary producers and suppliers of methamphetamine to the US, have been under increasing scrutiny. In February, Mexican authorities seized over 40 tonnes of the drug at one of the largest labs uncovered in recent years.
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