Mexican Cartel Smugglers Fail to Disguise Two Tons of Pot as Key Limes

Cartel smugglers dressed up two tons of marijuana as key limes in an attempt to sneak them into the U.S. from Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working the Pharr International Bridge in the Rio Grande Valley observed a 2001 Freightliner approach their port of entry. Officers directed the driver to a secondary inspection station for a routine check, information obtained by Breitbart Texas from CBP officials revealed.

A preliminary check of the trailer by a K-9 officer revealed the possible presence of drugs. Officers also used the non-intrusive imaging system to search the trailer for anomalies. Following the alert by the K-9, officers conducted a physical examination of the shipment of key limes being imported from Mexico.

The search revealed 34,764 packages of marijuana that had been disguised as key limes to hide within the shipment.

Officials determined the weight of the contraband to be 3,947.37 pounds. The estimated street value of the alleged marijuana is reported by CBP officials as $789,467.

“This is an outstanding interception of narcotics. Our CBP officers continue to excel in their knowledge of smuggling techniques which allows them to intercept these kinds of attempts to introduce narcotics into our country,” Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry Port Director Efrain Solis Jr. said in a written statement.

Cartel smugglers can be very creative in attempting to disguise their shipments as produce. Just over one year ago, Breitbart Texas’ Ildefonso Ortiz reported that smugglers attempted to disguise 2,493 pounds of marijuana as carrots. The marijuana was found in 2,817 packages wrapped in orange plastic wrap. This incident took place down the road at the Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge, CBP officials.

Drug trafficking in this region of Mexico is controlled by the Gulf Cartel. Citizen journalists have been reporting on the violent battles that occur on an almost daily basis in this border state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Their coverage is part of Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles created by Ortiz and Breitbart Texas Editor-in-Chief Brandon Darby.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.