$16 Million Meth Busted at Texas Border Inside Frozen Mangoes

Border agents in Texas made one of the strangest drug discoveries yet, nearly $16 million worth of methamphetamine hidden inside a shipment of frozen mangoes.

The bust happened last Tuesday at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped a tractor-trailer hauling produce. What looked like an ordinary load of frozen mangoes turned out to be stuffed with 733 packages of suspected meth, weighing almost 1,800 pounds.

According to Alberto Flores, director of the Laredo Port of Entry, it’s not unusual for traffickers to try sneaking narcotics through by mixing them with produce. This time, though, the load was massive and potentially devastating if it had made it past inspection. Officers used a combination of targeting, high-tech scanning, and a canine unit to uncover the stash.

CBP officials estimate the drugs would have been worth more than $16 million on the street. Agents immediately seized the narcotics and referred the case to Homeland Security Investigations, which is leading the ongoing criminal investigation.

This seizure comes just weeks after agents at the southern border reported uncovering nearly $50 million worth of methamphetamine in two separate incidents, underscoring the scale of the ongoing drug threat along Texas ports of entry.

Flores said large-scale seizures like this highlight CBP’s “steadfast commitment to keeping our border secure.”

From mangoes to jalapeños, to cars and even furniture, Texas has seen some bizarre smuggling attempts over the years. But this latest bust proves traffickers will try just about anything, even turning a truckload of fruit into a rolling meth lab..