US customs officers have seized nearly NZ$16 million worth of meth and cocaine, being hidden in vats of jalapeño paste.
The spicy discovery came after customs officers encountered a man driving a tractor with a shipment written down as “jalapeño paste” at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility on the border with Mexico in San Diego.
The driver, a valid border crossing cardholder, drew the suspicion of customs officers — who subjected the shipment to further examination.
A K-9 unit screened the shipment “and alerted officers to examine the trailer more closely”.
Searching the vats, officers found 349 “suspicious packages” containing 1434 tonnes of methamphetamine and 237kg of cocaine.
The estimated street value of the drugs is US$10.43 million (NZ$16.7 million).
Officers seized the drugs and the tractor-trailer — turning the alleged smuggler over to Homeland Security.
“We will continue to secure communities and stifle the growth of transnational criminal organisations, one seizure after another,” Rosa Hernandez, Otay Mesa Port director, said.
SHARE ME