❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uncovered over $10.3 million worth of suspected methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of lettuce at the Pharr International Bridge in South Texas.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: CBP officers, the truck driver, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is conducting a criminal inquiry.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The discovery was made on November 21 at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in South Texas.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Within a shipment of salad greens, our frontline officers discovered contraband that does not belong on any holiday table,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez.
🎯IMPACT: The bust, one of the largest methamphetamine seizures at the South Texas port this year, highlights the critical role of inspection technology and CBP efforts in combating drug smuggling.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than $10.3 million worth of suspected methamphetamine at the Pharr International Bridge in South Texas on November 21. The drugs, weighing approximately 1,153 pounds, were hidden inside a commercial shipment of lettuce arriving from Mexico. CBP officers first detected anomalies using non-intrusive inspection technology. A physical search then uncovered 500 packages of the suspected narcotic concealed in boxes designed to blend with ordinary produce crates.
“Within a shipment of salad greens, our frontline officers discovered contraband that does not belong on any holiday table,” said Carlos Rodriguez, Port Director for the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. “As this seizure aptly illustrates, our officers’ use of tools and technology were instrumental in this massive takedown of hard narcotics.”
CBP seized the narcotics and the tractor-trailer. Homeland Security Investigations has opened a criminal investigation, but no information about the driver or possible arrests has been released.
The bust, occurring just days before Thanksgiving, ranks among the largest methamphetamine seizures this year at the South Texas port.
Methamphetamine is a powerful synthetic stimulant that produces intense euphoria but carries severe health risks, including rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, paranoia, organ damage, psychosis, and fatal overdose. Large-scale production is dominated by Mexican cartels, which smuggle multi-ton shipments into the United States.
Recent related enforcement actions highlight the ongoing challenge. In February 2025, Mexican authorities, acting under increased U.S. pressure on drug trafficking, seized roughly 440 pounds of finished methamphetamine and more than 3,170 gallons of chemical precursors worth an estimated $40 million in Sinaloa state. In October 2025, federal agents in Georgia confiscated over 325 pounds of meth from a storage unit, resulting in charges against a suspected distributor.
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