OTAY MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — Border Patrol officers in the Southern California made a spicy discovery in a shipment of peppers last week.
Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a 37-year-old Mexican national entering through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in a semi pulling a trailer of cargo listed jalapeño peppers on the manifest.
Upon secondary inspection, a canine team alerted agents to the shipment.
Officers said they discovered 314 large, wrapped packages of marijuana that weighed about 7,560 pounds. The narcotics are valued at $2.3 million.
“I am proud of the officers for seizing this significant marijuana load,” said Otay Mesa port director Rosa Hernandez. “Not only did they prevent the drugs from reaching our community, they also prevented millions of dollars of potential profit from making it into the hands of a transnational criminal organization.”
The seizure followed another massive bust on Aug. 13, in which officers discovered 10,642 pounds of marijuana that was concealed in a shipment of plastic auto parts at the same cargo facility.
Very proud of our CBP officers in Otay Mesa! Last night they seized 7,560 pounds of marijuana in a shipment of jalapeno peppers and on Tuesday they seized another 10,642 pounds of marijuana in a shipment of plastic auto parts. Well done! pic.twitter.com/4EnoDGXWl3
— Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan (@CBPMarkMorgan) August 17, 2019