Customs officials find $5 million worth of meth disguised as watermelons at the Mexican border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Southern California got an interesting surprise when a shipment of watermelons yielded a bountiful harvest of something else: $5 million worth of methamphetamine.

In an Aug. 20 press release, the agency reported that a 29-year-old man was attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico in a semi-trailer truck carrying a shipment of watermelons.

Border Patrol officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in San Diego referred the driver, along with his vehicle and cargo, through the first checkpoint for additional screening.

During the additional investigation, officers stated that the alleged shipment of watermelons was unloaded. Upon further inspection, they discovered 1,220 packages of methamphetamine, “wrapped in paper” and disguised as fruit, the agency said.

The contents of the packages were tested and later identified as methamphetamine weighing nearly 4,000 pounds, with a street value of more than $5 million, according to the agency.

CBP agents seized the drugs and the truck. The driver, who authorities have not yet identified, was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation, the release said.

Rosa Hernandez, port director of the Port of Otay Mesa, praised border agents’ efforts to uncover “sophisticated and diverse smuggling methods.”

“As drug cartels continue to evolve their smuggling techniques, we will continue to find new and better ways to prevent these dangerous drugs and other contraband from entering the country,” Hernandez said in a statement.

According to a press release, Border Patrol agents at the same facility earlier this month seized 629 pounds of the same drug hidden in a crate of celery. The drug haul had an estimated street value of $755,000.

Both seizures were part of Operation Apollo, which targets fentanyl being smuggled into the U.S., the agency said. The operation began in Southern California in October 2023 and expanded to Arizona in April.

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