Customs officers find 2,435 pounds of pot inside fake carrots

PHARR, Texas, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents in Texas discovered more than a ton of marijuana concealed inside fake carrots being brought over from Mexico.

Customs officials in the Texas border town of Pharr said the 2,435 pounds of marijuana were found Sunday hidden inside fake carrots concealed among a shipment of fresh carrots entering the United States from Mexico.

"Once again, drug smuggling organizations have demonstrated their creativity in attempting to smuggle large quantities of narcotics across the U.S.-Mexico border," Port Director Efrain Solis Jr. said. "Our officers are always ready to meet those challenges and remain vigilant towards any type of illicit activities."

Customs said the nearly 3,000 fake carrots were enough to fill the beds of two pickup trucks.

The agency estimated the street value of the smuggled marijuana at $499,000.

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case, officials said.