Border officers in Texas seized 3,947 pounds of marijuana contained in lime-like packages on Jan. 30. The officials said the phony limes are nearly half a million dollars' worth of marijuana.
The "produce" was smuggled by a truck across the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge along the Texas-Mexico border near the Gulf of Mexico. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the marijuana are valued at approximately 789,467 dollars.
Nearly 34,764 of the marijuana filled fruit packages were discovered by an imaging inspection system and narcotics K-9 team. Port Director Efrain Solis Jr. called it an outstanding interception of narcotics. "Our CBP officers continue to excel in their knowledge of smuggling techniques, which allows them to intercept these kinds of attempts to introduce narcotics into our country," he told CNN.
However, this not the first time smugglers have tried to use fake produce to bring marijuana into the United States. Last year, border patrol officers discovered 2,493 pounds of marijuana stuffed into fake carrots at the same border crossing. In Nov. 2015, agents at the same checkpoint seized almost two million dollars' worth of marijuana and cocaine packaged into fresh cucumbers and carrots.
Authorities revealed that they have intercepted thousands of shipments of marijuana across the borders and states in the United States. With margins as much as 300% in the black market, the smugglers and drivers crossing the borders are often willing to take risks.
It looks like the U.S. is going through the golden days of marijuana as new ways of smuggling the renowned drug are being introduced. Because the border officers are typically trained to smell marijuana during inspection, smugglers are coming up with subtle ways of hiding and transporting marijuana, as well as making the drug dense among the "produces". Meanwhile, the case is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.
