CALEXICO, Calif. — This fish tale was no whopper.
Customs agents found nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside an ice chest filled with fish.
According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents reeled in the narcotics at the Calexico West Port of Entry in California at about 8:39 a.m. PDT on Sunday.
Customs officers referred a 34-year-old man driving a 2021 sedan through the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) lane for a secondary inspection, the release stated.
Agents using the port’s imaging system to screen the sedan observed irregularities in an ice chest discovered in the vehicle’s truck. A K-9 team confirmed the presence of narcotics.
Customs officers discovered 25 packages hidden among fish, and they were tested to reveal 47.13 pounds of methamphetamine, according to the news release.
The meth and the vehicle were seized by customs officers, and the driver of the vehicle was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
“Drug traffickers will go to great lengths in (an) attempt to deceive our officers,” Roque Caza, Calexico Area port director, said in a statement. “I’m proud of our highly trained officers working diligently every day to combat these dangerous drugs that have claimed so many lives.”
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