SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the ports of entry along the California border with Mexico over the weekend find marijuana covered in jalapeño wrapping paper hidden in shipment of actual jalapeño peppers and seize more than $1.5 million of narcotics over weekend.
On Oct. 25, at about 7 p.m. a 28-year-old male Mexican citizen entered the port of entry driving a tractor pulling a trailer with cargo manifested as mixed produce. The CBP officer referred the truck to secondary.
When the conveyance arrived to the dock, a canine team roving the area alerted to the trailer. CBP officers inspected the shipment discovering packages wrapped with jalapeño pepper wrapping paper comingled with real jalapeños.
CBP officers extracted 100 large wrapped packages weighing 527 pounds, with an estimated street value of $211,000.
From Friday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Oct. 27, CBP officers intercepted 590 pounds of methamphetamine, 18 pounds of cocaine, five pounds of heroin and 617 pounds of marijuana. CBP officers discovered the narcotics hidden inside vehicles in various places such as the doors, gas tank and strapped to their bodies.
CBP officers seized all vehicles and narcotics. All narcotic related subjects were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.
