Customs agents find nearly 4,000 pounds of marijuana disguised as limes

Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Customs officers in Texas examining a shipment of key limes from Mexico discovered nearly 4,000 pounds of marijuana disguised as citrus fruits.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility searched a commercial shipment of key limes being hauled by a 2001 Freightliner tractor trailer Jan. 30.

A non-intrusive imagining system and a canine team alerted officers to the presence of illicit materials, and a further search discovered 34,764 of the "limes" were actually small packages of marijuana disguised to blend in with the fruits.

Officers said they found a total 3,947.37 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $789,467.

The case was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations agents.