U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Friday that police officers found a small package of about 1,200 methamphetamines hidden in onion cargo at the San Diego Border Crossing on Sunday.
Around 1 pm on Sunday, CBP personnel at Otai Mesaland Port of Arrival encountered a 46-year-old driver and conducted an initial inspection of the cargo before ordering a broader inspection.
The dog team then screened the truck and the dog showed that it was detecting the drug. Police searched the cargo and found 1,197 packages of methamphetamine mixed with onions in the bag.
The stimulant package was shaped into a small globe with a white cover designed to blend in with the hidden onions. CBP personnel extracted approximately 1,336 pounds of methamphetamine from the package. According to a news release, the estimated value is about $ 2.9 million.
This is the first time, said Sydney Aki, director of customs and border security in San Diego.
“These efforts show how effective our executives are, and accordingly, how long drug trafficking organizations are going to smuggle drugs into the United States. It is unusual to see this level of detail in concealment. “
The driver was arrested for an attempt to smuggle drugs. The Customs and Border Protection then handed over the driver, who was a Mexican citizen, to ICE’s Department of Homeland Security. Officers confiscated trailers, trucks and stimulants.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers the latest news and the city of Palm Springs. Follow him on Twitter (@albaniburgiop) and email ([email protected]).
This article was originally published in Palm Springs Desert Sun: A man arrested for smuggling stimulants disguised as onions at the border