Watermelon shipment consisted of 2 tons of plastic-wrapped meth, CBP says

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — As if they were small gifts, smugglers wrapped the packages of meth in bright green, striped plastic that made them look like miniature watermelons.

Each bundle of meth resembled a small watermelon piñata or a paper watermelon lantern. They arrived at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry Commercial Facility in San Diego last Friday in a tractor-trailer driven by a 29-year-old man who was reportedly transporting real watermelons.

It’s unclear if there was actually any fruit in the truck, but during a more thorough inspection, officers discovered 1,220 packages of meth hidden inside.

In total, border officials found 4,587 pounds of methamphetamine, worth more than $5 million, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

Rosa E. Hernandez, port director of the Port of Otay Mesa, praised the agents for uncovering “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,” she said.

CBP agents seized the narcotics and the truck, while the driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation, CBP said.

During an inspection of a truck at the Otay Mesa commercial facility that appeared to be transporting green onions, CBP officers discovered narcotics deep in the center of the pallets on October 20, 2022. (CBP)

In the past, smugglers have used packaging that resembled vegetables or fruit.

In October 2020, also at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility, smugglers used plastic bags with images of scallions to conceal meth. CBP said agents found 183 packages of meth deep in a shipment of products.

CBP said this month’s watermelon bust was the result of an anti-fentanyl effort dubbed “Operation Apollo,” which leverages federal, state and local law enforcement resources, as well as tribal and territorial partners, to gather intelligence. Operation Apollo began in Southern California on Oct. 26, 2023, and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024. Homeland Security Investigations recently announced that Operation Apollo will be expanded to the El Paso region of West Texas and New Mexico.