Border protection officers bust man with $38 million worth of meth hidden in kale shipment
By Ashley R. Williams, CNN
(CNN) — US Customs and Border Protection officers in California seized $38 million worth of crank – a street name for methamphetamine – concealed inside a kale shipment along the US-Mexico border, the agency announced.
Otay Mesa Cargo Facility officers in San Diego found the drugs in a 34-year-old man’s tractor-trailer when they did an inspection on May 27, according to a news release Wednesday.
Officers noticed irregularities with the goods during an initial inspection and referred the driver for a more thorough inspection, the release stated.
They removed 268 packages of drugs, which was later tested and identified as meth, from the shipment of the nutrient-rich leafy green vegetables, authorities said.
The narcotics weighed nearly 5,800 pounds and had an estimated street value of $38,070,910, according to the US Customs and Border Protection.
The driver was detained for the alleged drug-smuggling attempt and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations, the release stated.
US Customs and Border Protection has seized over 83,200 pounds of meth in 2023, the agency reported.
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