Skip to content

Border Blogs & News

Blogs and news from the borders of America.

Menu
  • Home
  • El Paso News
Menu

Border Report – $10 million in meth and cocaine found in shipment of jalapeño paste

Posted on December 15, 2023

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Cargo facility discovered more than $10 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine hidden in a shipment of jalapeño paste Wednesday morning.

According to CBP, officers encountered a 28-year-old male driving a commercial tractor-trailer claiming he was hauling barrels filled with jalapeño paste.

The driver, who had a valid border crossing, was referred to secondary inspection along with his rig and contents in the trailer.


CJNG cartel boss in Zacatecas, known for violent and ruthless tactics, arrested in Mexico

A CBP K-9 unit screened the shipment and reportedly alerted officers.


U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found $10 million worth of cocaine and meth inside barrels loaded with jalapeño paste at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. (Courtesy: Customs and Border Protection)

Upon further examination, CBP officers discovered and extracted a total of 349 suspicious packages.


$10M worth of meth hidden inside jalapeño shipment, CBP says

The contents of the packages were tested and identified as methamphetamine weighing more than 3,161 pounds along with more than 522 pounds of cocaine.

“Our K-9 teams are an invaluable component of our counternarcotics operations, providing a reliable and unequaled mobile detection capability,” said Rosa Hernandez, Otay Mesa Port Director. “By implementing local operations under Operation Apollo and CBP’s Strategy to Combat Fentanyl and other Synthetic Drugs, we will continue to secure communities and stifle the growth of transnational criminal organizations, one seizure after another.”

According to CBP, the seized narcotics, commercial tractor-trailer and the driver were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.


Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border

The estimated street value of the narcotics is $10,430,145.

CBP says that during the month of November, its San Diego Field Office seized more than 14,000 pounds of illicit drugs.

 Read: Read More 

Recent Posts

  • Tech Crunch – ‘Improved’ Grok criticizes Democrats and Hollywood’s ‘Jewish executives’
  • KTSM News – Bubba’s 33 to donate part of burger sales to homes for veterans
  • KTSM News – Las Cruces Police seek community input with Lunchbox Lemonade event
  • KTSM News – 6 El Paso Fire Department Water Rescue members help with Central Texas flooding
  • KTSM News – ‘God was with us’: Texas woman describes surviving in tree after being swept away by floods

El Paso News

El Paso News delivers independent news and analysis about politics and public policy in El Paso, Texas. Go to El Paso News

Politico Campaigns

Are you a candidate running for office? Politico Campaigns is the go-to for all your campaign branding and technology needs.

Go to Politico Campaigns

Custom Digital Art

My name is Martín Paredes and I create custom, Latino-centric digital art. If you need custom artwork for your marketing, I'm the person to call. Check out my portfolio

© Martín Paredes