U.S. Customs And Border Protection Uncovers 766 Pounds Of Marijuana Hidden In Broccoli Shipment

Flickr / Mike Mozart / CC BY 2.0

Abigail Abesamis|March 28, 2016 5:20 pm EST

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) discovered 766 pounds of alleged marijuana hidden in a shipment of fresh broccoli.

The drugs, valued at approximately $153,000, and the tractor trailer were seized by the CBP and the case is under investigation, according to a release.

Efrain Solis Jr., port director of the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas port of entry, said, "I commend our frontline officers at our cargo facility for their dedication and commitment towards the CBP mission of helping keep drugs from crossing our border. Our ability to analyze all the information presented with commercial importations in conjunction with officer experience, is the basis for accomplishing these type of interceptions."

A tractor trailer hauling a commercial shipment of fresh broccoli from Mexico was referred for a secondary inspection on March 22. From there, the officers discovered 661 packages of alleged marijuana using a canine team and non-intrusive imaging technology.