The Drug Enforcement Administration’s McAllen office announced that federal agents have seized more than 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a cabbage shipment in South Texas following an investigation in the Rio Grande Valley.
The DEA said its McAllen office made the seizure as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation involving several federal agencies. The Texas Department of Public Safety also assisted in the investigation.
The DEA’s McAllen office shared a video showing agents peeling back outer layers of cabbage leaves to reveal tightly wrapped packages of methamphetamine.
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“🚨 2,000+ LBS. OF METH SEIZED 🚨 More than 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of cabbage were seized by the #DEA McAllen office in the Rio Grande Valley. This major seizure is part of a Homeland Security Taskforce investigation, conducted jointly with HSI, the FBI, CBP, USBP, and TXDPS. Strong partnerships and relentless enforcement produce real results,” the DEA’s Houston office said on X.
The agency did not provide additional information about the amount seized beyond saying it exceeded 2,000 pounds. Officials also did not disclose how investigators discovered the methamphetamine. No arrests, criminal charges or suspects were mentioned in the initial statement.
The seizure highlights how drug traffickers can use legitimate freight to conceal large quantities of narcotics. However, there is not enough information to establish how the shipment was transported through South Texas.
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A similar incident occurred in July, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made a $10 million drug seizure during an inspection of a commercial tractor-trailer carrying cabbage at the Pharr Port of Entry, a bridge near the southern tip of Texas.
CBP said a canine inspection and nonintrusive imaging scan led officers to a hidden load inside the trailer. A physical search uncovered 477 packages containing 1,173 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $10,787,500. CBP seized the narcotics and commercial truck.
In August, CBP officers at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility intercepted nearly $15 million worth of alleged methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of fresh celery. CBP’s Office of Field Operations seized the narcotics and vehicle, while Homeland Security Investigations special agents initiated a criminal investigation.