OTAY MESA, CA - Radishes were the latest fresh produce item to fall victim to the nefarious acts of drug smugglers. On January 29, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers assigned to the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility uncovered a large quantity of narcotics concealed within an unsuspecting shipment.

“Perseverance—that is the key principle for success,” said Rosa Hernandez, Otay Mesa Port Director. “Our CBP officers are the prime example of applying this practice because, as we all know, things are not always what they seem.”

The driver of a tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested for radishes was referred for further examination. There, a non-intrusive inspection of the tractor-trailer was conducted. A CBP human/narcotic detector dog also screened the shipment and alerted CBP officers to the presence of narcotics, a press release explained.

CBP officers discovered a large amount of narcotics concealed within the pallets of radishes. The driver was detained for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt, and officers seized the tractor, trailer, and narcotics.

We will continue to keep an eye out for ways to protect fresh produce from harm such as this.