A smuggler attempted to cross the Mexico-US border with a giant stash of methamphetamines disguised as onions, leaving federal officials impressed with the creativity of the alleged subterfuge.
“This was not only a clever attempt to try and smuggle in narcotics, one I haven’t seen before, but also time consuming to wrap narcotics into these small packages, designed to look like onions,” said Sidney Aki, the Director of Field Operations in San Diego for US Customs and Border Protection, in a statement.
The 1,197 packages of methamphetamines, packed among real onions in the back of a tractor-trailer, were shaped into small globes with a white covering, weighing 1,336 pounds and valued at $2.9 million.
The stash was discovered by K9 units at the Otay Mesa border crossing between Tijuana and San Diego.
US Customs and Border Protection officers discovered almost 1,200 small packages of methamphetamine hidden within a shipment of onions last week. US Customs and Border ProtectionThe 46-year-old driver, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and handed over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
“While we have certainly seen narcotics in produce before, it’s unusual for us to see this level of detail in the concealment,” said Aki.
The drugs are valued at $2.9 million. US Customs and Border Protection