Mexican cartels smuggle drugs through food imports: Record-breaking meth explosion at US-Mexico border is the latest

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized more than $17.4 million worth of methamphetamine from a tractor-trailer transporting a load of coconuts at the Mexico-Texas border.

The arrest is one of several involving cartels smuggling drugs across the border in fresh food shipments from Mexico, the largest supplier of vegetables to the US.

What happenedAs CBP agents took another look at the tractor-trailer, their drug detection dogs sniffed out 378 packages containing nearly 2,000 pounds of meth, which they seized, after which Homeland Security agents moved in to conduct a criminal investigation .

The arrest, made at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas on September 28, is the largest meth seizure in the history of the Hidalgo Port of Entry, CBP reported.

“This seizure underlines the severity of the drug threat we face every day and the determination of our officers to keep our communities safe,” said Port Director Carlos Rodríguez in a press release.

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Fruits, vegetables and illegal drugs from Mexico to American tables

It stands to reason that Mexican cartels and drug manufacturers would choose to smuggle their products among the $19 billion in annual food imports that enter the U.S. through the southern border.

Also worth noting is that 98% of food products from Mexico enter the US through land ports between Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Because nearly 90% of Mexico’s horticultural exports are destined for the U.S., drug smugglers have many boxes of fruits and vegetables to choose from.

Huge Salad Of Nasty Drugs

Although the Justice Department points out that U.S. citizens produce most of their own methamphetamine, border agents report seizing enough meth at the southern border this summer to spoil anyone’s appetite.

• CBP agents seized $48 million worth of meth stored in a lettuce shipment at the Hidalgo Port of Entry in August.
• That same month, officials found more than $5 million worth of meth packaged in bright green plastic containers with stripes that made them resemble small watermelons.
• Another shipment of meth was found hidden in a shipment of cucumbers and peppers during a routine check at the same Pharr port of entry in July.
• In late May, nearly six tons of methamphetamine hidden in a batch of green squash was seized.

CBP data shows that more than 164,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized nationwide in 2024 alone.

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Photo: Meth in melons, courtesy of Customs and Border Protection