$210,980 Worth of Alleged Marijuana Found in Avocado Shipment at the Pharr International Bridge
PHARR, TX—Saying avocad-no to a shipment of avocados last week was U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO). The organization’s Pharr International Bridge cargo facility found 1,055 pounds of alleged marijuana in a commercial trailer carrying the essential guacamole-making ingredient. The illegal, stowaway substance has a reported value of $210,980.
“Our officers’ experience combined with the use of available tools continues to keep dangerous drugs from entering our country,” said Acting Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry, in a recent press release.
The white 2005 freighter tractor trailer was carrying the shipment of avocados acrosss the bridge on Saturday, December 16th, when CBP officers assigned to Pharr International Bridge cargo facility referred the vehicle to a secondary inspection. There, while using a non-intrusive imaging system, the officers located and extracted 440 packaged of the alleged narcotics.
The case is now in the hands of special agents of Homeland Security Investigations. And a big thank you goes to the CBP officers continuing to address the needs of our industry while keeping our produce free from harm’s way.
