Weed Fake Carrots Seizure By Border Patrol Agents Netted About $500,000 Worth Of Marijuana

Weed inside fake carrots was found by the truckload during a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol inspection in Texas. About 2,817 carrot fake carrots stuffed with nearly $500,000 worth of marijuana were seized at the Pharr International Bridge cargo inspection facility near the Mexican border.

The weed fake carrots weighed about 2,493 pounds and filled the back of two Border Patrol pickup trucks. Border Patrol canine agents hit upon the truck carrying the fake carrots stuffed with weed. The director of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo port crossing, Efrain Solis Jr., said that marijuana smugglers were clearly demonstrating their creativity when they attempted to disguise copious amounts of pot inside fake carrots, CNN notes.

“Our officers are always ready to meet those challenges and remain vigilant towards any type of illicit activities,” Solis added.

Drug smugglers stash 2,500 pounds of weed into fake carrots. Valiant effort. https://t.co/7dN3lDWiCxpic.twitter.com/yLYGmi2u3V

— Complex (@ComplexMag) January 14, 2016

Department of Homeland Security agents are now investigating the weed fake carrots incident, Sky News reports. Last November, drug smugglers also used the weed fake carrot ruse to attempt to bring both marijuana and cocaine into the United States from Mexico. During that failed drug-running incident Border Patrol agents seized about $2 million worth of illegal substances packed inside carrots and cucumbers.

#TBT 1920’s postcard view of the earliest U.S. border inspection station at Douglas, AZ. pic.twitter.com/nvWVVsoK6l

— CBP (@CustomsBorder) January 14, 2016

The weed fake carrot seizure occurred on January 10, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol website. Agents at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility inspected the semi truck with a load of commercial produce as it maneuvered through the port it needed to surpass to gain entry into the United States. A “vehicle non-intrusive imaging inspection” was conducted initially and then a secondary inspection by agents was undertaken at a dock reserved for law enforcement reviews. The dog sniffing unit was then called into to help the agents determine if drugs were hidden in the shipment.

Although we are still in the early weeks of 2016, Border Patrol agents have already racked up some impressive statistics while protecting the boundaries of the United States. On the first day of the year agents in Miami arrested a fugitive from Havana, Cuba as he attempted to enter the country. Ernesto Stone, 39, had a warrant out for his arrest on charges related to the criminal possession of forged documents.

“We remain vigilant and will continue to proactively address threats, minimize vulnerabilities, and maximize security,” Miami International Airport Port Director Christopher Maston, said, according to a CBP media release.

Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport seized drugs from suitcases of American citizens who were on a return trip from Mexico. A 28-year-old woman and her 31-year-old male companion returned from Cozueml with 41 grams of hashish oil and nine grams of cocaine, according to the federal agency.

Last Wednesday Border Patrol Agents in New Mexico and Texas seized about 650 pounds of weed and arrested nine people on drug smuggling charges. Agents in Clint, Texas, were tipped off to a potential marijuana shipment being smuggled through the Tornillo Port of Entry. The majority of the drug smugglers in the Texas bust were juveniles.

Here’s an excerpt about the major border drug bust from the CBP newsroom.

“Agents had begun the process of tracking the illegal crossers when they came upon seven bundles of suspected contraband. One subject at the scene attempted to conceal himself, to no avail. Additional agents from the U.S. Border Patrol’s Bike Patrol Team arrived and continued to track the suspected smugglers. The agents soon caught up to the subjects and placed them under arrest. All five individuals claimed to be citizens from Mexico. Agents determined that three of the five subjects are in fact juveniles. In all, 385 pounds of marijuana were seized with a street value of $308,000.”

Later the same day, New Mexico Borer Patrol agents stationed at Las Cruces Immigration Checkpoint on I-25, searched a Ford Mustang after determining the driver was behaving in an unusual manner. After the driver was asked a few questions he gave consent to have his vehicle searched. A canine unit found 116 pounds of pot hidden in the car’s rear bumper and the dashboard. The street value of the seize marijuana was estimated at $92,800.

What do you think of the weed fake carrots and other drug smuggling seizures along the American border? Would nationwide marijuana legalization kill the Mexican drug running business?

[Image via U.S. Customs and Border Patrol]