Strawberries from Mexico packed with 900 pounds of ‘ice’ — the illegal kind, authorities say
It might be called ‘ice’ when it’s in crystal form, but 900 pounds of meth is not for keeping produce cold.
Customs and Border Protection agents seized 906 pounds of methamphetamine over the weekend that was hidden in a shipment of frozen strawberries coming into Texas from Mexico, according to a news release.
The bust was made at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, which crosses into South Texas between McAllen and Brownsville, about 70 miles west of the Gulf Coast.
The driver of the frozen strawberry truck has not been identified by authorities, other than as a 42-year-old Mexican citizen, whose cargo manifest said he was bringing a commercial shipment of frozen strawberries into the U.S. from Mexico, the CPB release states. He was is being held by CBP agents “for further investigation.”
Customs and Border Patrol did not make clear where in the truck the packages were hidden, but said the drugs were discovered using “non-intrusive imaging equipment” and canine teams.
The meth was packed into 350 bricks, that appeared to be individually-wrapped into kilograms, according to a photo of the bust released by the CBP’s Hidalgo office. The full weight of the seizure, packaging included, was 411 kg, according to the release.
The drugs would have been worth $12.7 million if they had made it to the street in the U.S., according to CBP.
“This was an outstanding interception,” CBP Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port Director David Gonzalez said in the release. “Our officers’ astute sense of awareness and tenacity is unparalleled and truly commendable.”
The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge is one of 29 official ports of entry into Texas, and the seventh busiest in the U.S., according to state officials, with traffic of “about 175,000 vehicles a month.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2019 at 8:14 AM.
