Huge jugs of jalapeno paste hide nearly 2 tons of meth and cocaine, border agents say

A tractor-trailer stopped at a border crossing into California contained more than the listed jugs of jalapeno paste, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers reported.

The shipment, stopped Dec. 13 at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility near San Diego, also contained 3,161 pounds of methamphetamine and 522 pounds of cocaine hidden in the paste, a Dec. 14 news release by the agency said.

A K-9 team screening the tractor-trailer alerted officers to the nearly two tons of drugs, which have an estimated street value of $10.4 million, the agency said.

Officers recovered 349 packets of drugs from the huge jugs of jalapeno paste.

Border officers seized the tractor-trailer and drugs, the agency said. The 28-year-old driver was turned over to Homeland Security for processing.

About $45 billion in trade crosses the border at the Otay Mesa and Tecate ports each year, according to Smart Border Coalition.

This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Huge jugs of jalapeno paste hide nearly 2 tons of meth and cocaine, border agents say."