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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers turned an otherwise unassuming shipment of squash into a drug bust of massive proportions earlier this week.
CBP officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in California seized nearly six tons and $18 million worth of meth from a 44-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer.
Now, I am certainly no expert, but that sounds like a LOT of meth.
“The driver, a valid border crossing card holder, was referred for further examination by CBP officers along with the tractor-trailer and shipment,” CBP said. “In secondary, non-intrusive scanning technology was utilized to conduct a full scan of the tractor-trailer. After examination, irregularities were observed and CBP officers requested a CBP human and narcotics detection canine. The canine team responded and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.”
So, what exactly did officers find in the tractor-trailer?
In total, CBP officers discovered 1,419 packages of methamphetamine concealed within the shipment of squash. The package amounted to a total weight of 11,469 pounds and an estimated street value of $18,350,400.
But the big bust is nothing new.
Huge Border Patrol Meth Bust Comes Shortly After Two Similar Incidents
Just two months ago, CBP agents seized over $40 million of meth in two separate busts.
“Optimal targeting efforts were keen in foiling this drug smuggling attempt,” CBP said in a press release at the time. “CBP personnel are persistent in protecting our Nation against dangerous and prohibited narcotics that pose a threat to our communities.”
CBP says that the seizures are the result of Operation Apollo. Operation Apollo is a “holistic counter-fentanyl effort that began on October 26, 2023 in southern California and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024.
An estimated minimum of 150 people die, on average, every day from drug overdoses related to synthetic opioids derived from fentanyl. Numbers are according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.