Customs officers find 3,000 pounds of marijuana disguised as watermelons

Jan. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents in Texas intercepted 3,000 pounds of suspected marijuana disguised as watermelons.

The agency said its Office of Field Operations at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility searched a shipment of fresh watermelons in a white 1993 Thermo King tractor trailer Jan. 17.

The officers discovered 390 of the supposed watermelons were actually packages of suspected marijuana formed into the shapes of melons and wrapped in green material.

The packages contained a total 3,000 pounds of what is believed to be cannabis -- an estimated $600,092 worth of the drug.

"Smugglers continue to be creative as they attempt to introduce illegal narcotics into our country," said Port Director Efrain Solis Jr., Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. "Our frontline CBP officers' experience, vigilance and attention to detail prevents the introduction of these dangerous drugs into our country."

The case was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.