U.S. customs officials stationed along the Mexico border are accustomed to finding marijuana in unusual places. Inside the of an old van. In an unsuspecting . Inside underneath the lengthy, 1,922-mile border separating the two countries.
And sometimes the would-be smuggled weed .
Truckloads of cannabis carrots seized on Jan. 10, 2016, on the Texas-Mexico border. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
But on Jan. 10, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials found more than a ton of alleged cannabis stuffed inside “carrot-shaped packages,” according to the agency. The 2,493 pounds of suspected marijuana — and the fake carrots that acted as its packaging — were found at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility.
“Once again, drug smuggling organizations have demonstrated their creativity in attempting to smuggle large quantities of narcotics across the U.S./Mexico border,” port director Efrain Solis Jr., Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry, said in a . “Our officers are always ready to meet those challenges and remain vigilant towards any type of illicit activities.”
The tractor-trailer was originally registered as a commercial shipment of fresh carrots, according to the agency.
Border agents estimated the street value of the alleged marijuana at $499,000. The case is currently under the investigation of agents with Homeland Security Investigations.
From the agency’s press release on the bust:
On Jan. 10, CBP officers assigned to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor/trailer with a commercial shipment of fresh carrots arriving from Mexico. After referring the conveyance for a vehicle non-intrusive imaging inspection, CBP officers conducted a secondary inspection on the enforcement dock, which included assistance from a canine team. The examination revealed packages of suspected narcotics hidden within the bags of carrots. Officers removed and seized a total of 2,817 carrot-shaped packages of alleged marijuana which carry an estimated street value of $499,000.
