The US Customs and Border Protection agency had a big find last week when they uncovered thousands of pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine in a jalapeno paste shipment.
The discovery was made by officers at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility in Southern California, according to a news release.
The officers found the narcotics in the back of a commercial tractor-trailer being driven by a 28-year-old man, the agency shared.
Officials said the driver had a valid border crossing card but was referred for additional examination in a secondary inspection area. It was then that a K9 unit was used to scan the shipment.
During the K9 check, the dogs alerted officers to conduct a more thorough check of the tractor-trailer, the release shared.
“Upon further examination, CBP officers discovered and extracted a total of 349 suspicious packages from vats of jalapeño paste,” the release stated.
Inside the packages were 3,161 pounds of methamphetamine and 522 pounds of cocaine, the agency shared. Both narcotics were tested to confirm what they were.
Images of the shipment show large red barrels dumped upside down with jalapeno paste and narcotics inside.
Officials have estimated that the street value of the narcotics is more than $10.4 million.
The driver was detained and has since been turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. The drugs and tractor-trailer were also seized.