U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Cargo port of entry seized more than 5.5 tons of marijuana hidden in a shipment manifested as limes.

“Criminals and other bad actors will try to get past us but CBP officers are focused on protecting our communities from illicit drugs,” said Division Director Rosa Hernandez.  “I am so proud of the officers for their efforts and know that they will continue to target these dangerous shipments.”

In total, officers discovered 468 large wrapped packages containing more than 11,000 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of approximately $8.4 million.

At about 4 p.m. on Monday, June 4, CBP officers encountered a 74-year-old male Mexican citizen, driving a tractor pulling a trailer carrying a shipment of limes.  A CBP officer referred the truck and shipment for a more in-depth examination.

CBP officers searched the trailer, it was full of boxes with supposed limes within, and they identified anomalies. A CBP officer probed one of the boxes and extracted a green leafy substance that field-tested positive for the properties of marijuana.

CBP officers seized the tractor, trailer, cargo shipment and marijuana. The driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.