CBP seizes cocaine hidden in watermelons, peppers headed to Canada

Bags of cocaine is displayed with boxes of produce seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Canadian border.Bags of cocaine is displayed with boxes of produce seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Canadian border.

A truck driver hauling watermelons and peppers from the U.S. to Canada could face prosecution after border officers discovered nearly 70 pounds of cocaine hidden in her load of produce, authorities said. 

The driver, a Canadian citizen, was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound operations at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry in Montana, across the border from Coutts, Alberta. 

Officers found the cocaine — totaling 69.5 pounds — inside the trailer, concealed in the commercial shipment of watermelons and peppers, CBP said in a statement

CBP officers turned over the case to the U.S. attorney’s office. The driver’s name wasn’t released. 

Another Canadian truck driver was arrested at the same port of entry in January after CBP officers found 240 pounds of cocaine during an inspection. 

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