U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Otay Mesa have seized hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of fresh produce.
At approximately 12:35 p.m. Sunday, officers working at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility encountered a 35-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested for fresh tomatillos. He was applying for admission to the U.S. from Mexico.
The driver, a valid border crossing card holder, was sent for further examination along with the tractor-trailer and shipment. In the secondary inspection area, non-intrusive scanning technology on the tractor-trailer. Officers observed irregularities and decided to take a closer look at the shipment.
They discovered and extracted a total of 50 packages concealed within the shipment of fresh tomatillos. The contents were tested and identified as methamphetamine with a total weight of 378 pounds and an estimated street value of $453,600.
“This seizure highlights criminal organizations’ efforts to smuggle narcotics in agricultural products and showcases our officers’ skills in detecting and preventing harmful drugs from entering our country and communities,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, port director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa.
CBP officers seized the narcotics and truck. They turned the driver over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations.
This seizure is the result of Operation Apollo, a counter-fentanyl effort that began on Oct. 26, 2023, in Southern California and expanded to Arizona on April 10.
Operation Apollo focuses on intelligence collection and partnerships, and utilizes local CBP field assets augmented by federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners.
