$35.2 million in meth was seized from a big rig hauling strawberry puree, customs and border officials say

By Holly Yan, CNN

A plot to move almost a ton of methamphetamine in a shipment of strawberry puree got crushed when US Customs and Border Protection officers discovered the concealed drugs.

On April 12, a CBP officer assigned to the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas, saw a tractor trailer arriving from Mexico hauling a shipment of strawberry puree and referred it for another examination, the agency said.

“After conducting a thorough secondary examination, which included utilization of non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment, CBP officers discovered 158 packages containing a total of nearly 1,761 pounds (798.88 kg) of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the shipment. The methamphetamine had an estimated street value of more than $35.2 million,” CBP said.

“This mammoth seizure of methamphetamine underscores the reality of the drug threat we face at the port of entry and the determination of our frontline officers to apply the latest inspections technology coupled with officer experience to keep our border secure,” said Albert Flores, port director for the Laredo Port of Entry.

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