Customs Seizes Truck Delivering Frozen Strawberries In Texas, Finds $13 Million In Meth

A truck delivering a haul of frozen strawberries was seized by customs officials Saturday at a port in Texas, where authorities discovered nearly $13 million worth of the drug methamphetamine.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers had stopped the driver, identified as a 42-year-old Mexican citizen, for a routine check at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, which serves as a commercial port of entry and cargo facility.

Port authorities then sent the truck for a more detailed inspection. It was then that they uncovered 350 packages of the drug and weighing 906 pounds.

The initially reported valuation of the drug was $12.7 million, according to CBP.

The truck driver was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations division.

David Gonzalez, who oversees the Hidalgo-Pharr-Anzalduas Port of Entry, called the seizure an "outstanding interception."

"Our officers' astute sense of awareness and tenacity is unparalleled and truly commendable," Gonzalez said.

The Pharr Bridge is known for the advanced detection technology used at the port, including GAMA ray inspection equipment, as well as a live bridge camera feed. Roughly 175,000 vehicles go through the port per month.

The CPB seized a total of 67,292 pounds worth of meth over the course of the 2018 fiscal year. The number was an uptick from totals in 2017, which saw the detainment of 50,569 pounds of the drug.

The figures included seizures from 300 ports of entry placed along both the northern and southern U.S. borders.