Local U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers got quite the surprise when they discovered nearly 310 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a shipment of vegetables at the Otay Mesa cargo facility.
Officers made the strange discovery Wednesday night.
A 29-year-old U.S. citizen driving a truck entered the cargo port and attempted to pass through with what he claimed was a large shipment of boxed carrots in the bed of the truck.
Upon further inspection, officers found the veggies were laced with something else: a whole lot of pot.
Comingling in the boxes of bright orange carrots, officers found 42 hidden packages of marijuana worth an estimated street value of nearly $500,000.
Officers said the driver of the truck, a resident of Maywood, Calif., was arrested and booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
He’s facing federal charges for the attempted illegal smuggling of marijuana.
Photo Credit: U.S. Customs and Protection