Mexican Smuggler Disguised Meth Worth $5 Million In Watermelons

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers confiscated more than $5 million worth of methamphetamine disguised within a shipment of watermelons.
Smugglers had disguised 4,587 pounds of meth by wrapping the packages in bright green plastic with stripes, making them resemble small watermelons. The estimated street value of the drugs exceeded $5 million dollars, according to the CBP.
On August 16, officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility carried out a secondary inspection on a shipment of watermelons being transported to the U.S. from Mexico by a 29-year-old man in a commercial tractor-trailer.
During the secondary inspection, the watermelon shipment was offloaded to the intensive dock for further examination, where the discovery was made.
The suspected smuggler is in the custody of Homeland Security after CBP officers intercepted the massive haul of narcotics.
Homeland Security Investigations has launched a criminal investigation, and inquiries remain ongoing.
“I am incredibly proud of our team for their exceptional work over the past few weeks in uncovering sophisticated and diverse smuggling methods,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa.
“As drug cartels continue to evolve their smuggling techniques, we will continue finding new and better ways to prevent these dangerous drugs and other contraband from entering the country.”
This seizure was part of ongoing efforts by the CBP to combat drug trafficking in the area, known as Operation Apollo.
Apollo is a holistic counter-fentanyl effort that began in late 2023 in southern California and expanded to Arizona in 2024.
Otay Mesa Port of Entry is one of three ports of entry in the San Diego-Tijuana region in California, connecting Otay Mesa in the City of San Diego with the Otay Centenario borough of Tijuana, Mexico.
Earlier this month, CBP officers seized over $40 million worth of meth stashed within a lettuce shipment in a record-breaking drug haul.
In August, border agents seized over 300 pounds of meth stashed inside a shipment of fresh tomatillos in Southern California.
Meth worth more than $5 million was found hidden in a shipment of cucumbers and bell peppers during a routine check at the Pharr Port of Entry in Texas on the Mexico border in July.
Over 145,698 pounds of methamphetamine have been seized nationwide in Fiscal Year 2024, according to CBP data.
Law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border seized 132,655 pounds of meth in the Southwest border alone in the 2023-2024 fiscal year as of July 2024.
According to a study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an estimated 2.5 million people aged 12 and older reported using the drug in the country.
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