$1.4M of meth found in green onion shipment at border crossing

Border officers on Sunday seized $1.4 million worth of methamphetamine hidden inside a shipment of green onions at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. (Credit: U.S.…

Border officers on Sunday seized $1.4 million worth of methamphetamine hidden inside a shipment of green onions at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. (Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

by: Christy Simeral

Posted: Jul 20, 2020 / 05:42 PM PDT

Updated: Jul 20, 2020 / 05:54 PM PDT

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OTAY MESA, Calif. — Border officers on Sunday seized more than $1 million worth of methamphetamine hidden inside a shipment of green onions at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

Shortly after noon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a man hauling what was described as “mint leaves and other spices” in a tractor-trailer, the law enforcement agency said.

During an inspection, officers found 40 wrapped packages of a “crystal-like substance” among green onions and determined it was methamphetamine, CBP said. Officers estimated the load to be worth $1.4 million.

The agency turned the driver, a 31-year-old Mexican citizen, over to Homeland Security Investigations for processing.