CBP seizes 1,000-plus pounds of meth in produce truck at Texas border

A tractor-trailer hauling leeks concealed more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine as it approached the Texas border. Federal officers discovered 909 packages of suspected narcotics during an Oct. 30 inspection of a commercial truck entering South Texas. The drugs carried an estimated street value of $984,063. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the seizure Nov. 2 as part of Operation Southern Surge. A similar leek shipment concealed $10.75 million in methamphetamine during an August inspection at the Pharr International Bridge in Pharr, Texas.

A canine alerted CBP officers during the commercial truck’s inspection at the South Texas border. Inspectors searched the shipment of leeks and uncovered cylindrical bundles concealed among the produce. Testing confirmed the substance as methamphetamine, weighing approximately 1,082 pounds. Another Texas border inspection uncovered nearly $15 million in methamphetamine hidden inside a celery shipment in August.

CBP detailed the seizure during a Nov. 2 news conference in Laredo, Texas. Officials connected the discovery to Operation Southern Surge, which began Oct. 19. The initiative expanded enforcement resources across several South Texas crossings. Additional personnel, canine teams and screening technology supported efforts to identify suspected smuggling activity.

As of Nov. 2, CBP reported 89 arrests and more than 1,600 pounds of narcotics seized under Operation Southern Surge. Authorities also reported seizing 15 firearms, more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition and over $360,000 in illicit currency. Weeks earlier, CBP seized $30.4 million in suspected methamphetamine from a commercial salt shipment at Laredo’s World Trade Bridge.

This story was originally published by FreightWaves. Read the full story at FreightWaves →