Choosing the right watermelon can be difficult. Sometimes they are not ripe, or they have too many seeds.
Then there’s the possibility that the “melons” are actually $5 million worth of methamphetamine painted to look like fruit so they can be smuggled across the border.
That was the sight U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials encountered Friday, when a 29-year-old man drove a commercial tractor-trailer to the Otay Mesa commercial facility and tried to enter San Diego County.
His manifest said he was transporting watermelons, and officers referred him to a secondary investigation site for further inspection, the agency said in a statement.
Officers discovered 1,220 packages of methamphetamine, wrapped in paper and painted two shades of green to mimic a watermelon, according to authorities.
(US Customs and Border Protection)
The shipment was taken off the truck and upon closer inspection, officers discovered a seedy situation: 1,220 packages of methamphetamine, wrapped in paper and painted two shades of green to mimic a watermelon.
The packages weighed a total of 4,587 pounds, with an estimated street value of $5 million, according to authorities.
The police seized the meth and the trailer. The driver was turned over to the US Department of Homeland Security. There was no other information available about the driver.
“As the drug cartels continue to develop their smuggling techniques, we will continue to find new and better ways to prevent these dangerous drugs and other contraband from entering the country,” Port Director Rosa E. Hernandez said in a statement.
Fake watermelons are not the only products used in drug smuggling. Earlier this month, at the same border control, police officers intercepted 629 pounds of methamphetamine hidden among bunches of celery.
Officers in that case also seized the tractor-trailer and narcotics and turned the driver, a 34-year-old man, over to Homeland Security.
Officers have also recently seized shipments of cocaine and meth buried in jalapeño paste, and nearly 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine bundled with carrots.
The raids are part of CBP’s anti-fentanyl effort that stretches from Southern California to Arizona.