Texas Border Patrol agents found over 400,000 worth of methamphetamine hidden inside pumpkins at the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement.
Border Patrol officials discovered the large smuggling attempt at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry when an SUV coming from the Mexican side of the border was referred for further inspection.
Upon examining the vehicle, officials found four pumpkins, which contained 136 condoms filled with 44 pounds of liquid methamphetamine. The drugs are estimated to be worth $402,196.
The CBP shared a picture that shows how the pumpkins were hollowed out in order to make room for the drugs.
The driver and passenger of the vehicle were taken into custody by the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, the CBP said.
“Our frontline CBP officers have seen just about everything and this Tuesday was no exception as they encountered liquid methamphetamine hidden within pumpkins,” said (Acting) Port Director Elizabeth Garduno, Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “They utilized their training, experience, interviewing skills and uncovered a rather novel narcotics smuggling method in the process.”
Most of the methamphetamine in the U.S. is made in Mexico and is smuggled across the border, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said in a report last year.
On October 2, Border Patrol agents made another large bust at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry. They found 36 pounds of meth, worth an estimated value of $328,000.
