Border agents say they discovered more than a ton of marijuana stuffed into fake carrots mixed in with shipment of the real thing at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Texas officials say they found 2,493 pounds of marijuana on Sunday after an imaging system flagged the truck transporting the produce for a secondary examination while it was crossing the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge along the Texas-Mexico border near the Gulf of Mexico.
The street value of the drugs is estimated at $500,000, said authorities.
Police say that nearly 3,000 carrot-shaped packages were mixed in with real carrots, according to CNN.
Officers were able to fill up two pickup trucks with the allegedly smuggled drugs.
The case is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.
'Once again, drug smuggling organizations have demonstrated their creativity in attempting to smuggle large quantities of narcotics across the U.S./Mexico border,' said Port Director Efrain Solis Jr., Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry in a statement.
'Our officers are always ready to meet those challenges and remain vigilant towards any type of illicit activities.'
This isn't the first time that carrots has been used as a means of smuggling contraband.
In November, authorities found $2million worth of marijuana and cocaine in fresh packages of carrots and cucumbers.
Two weeks after that, officers found $479,000 worth of marijuana hidden among fresh tomatoes, according to The New York Daily News.
Texas officials say they found 2,493 pounds of marijuana on Sunday after an imaging system flagged the truck transporting the produce for a secondary examination while it was crossing the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge along the Texas-Mexico border near the Gulf of Mexico.
The street value of the drugs is estimated at $500,000, said authorities.
Police say that nearly 3,000 carrot-shaped packages were mixed in with real carrots, according to CNN.
Officers were able to fill up two pickup trucks with the allegedly smuggled drugs.
The case is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.
'Once again, drug smuggling organizations have demonstrated their creativity in attempting to smuggle large quantities of narcotics across the U.S./Mexico border,' said Port Director Efrain Solis Jr., Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry in a statement.
'Our officers are always ready to meet those challenges and remain vigilant towards any type of illicit activities.'
This isn't the first time that carrots has been used as a means of smuggling contraband.
In November, authorities found $2million worth of marijuana and cocaine in fresh packages of carrots and cucumbers.
Two weeks after that, officers found $479,000 worth of marijuana hidden among fresh tomatoes, according to The New York Daily News.
Music: The Complex by Kevin MacLeod
Source : DailyMail, Pushjunction, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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