Customs: Avocado shipment concealed 1,055 pounds of pot

Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Customs officers in Texas said they found 1,055 pounds of marijuana hidden in a commercial shipment of avocados.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers from the Office of Field Operations at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility inspected a commercial trailer loaded with avocados and discovered large packages of the other green plant hidden among the fruits.

CBP said officers in Texas' Rio Grande Valley used a non-intrusive imaging system on the 2005 Freightliner tractor trailer when it was referred for secondary inspection Saturday and the scan indicated the presence of drugs.

The 1,055 pounds of marijuana had been separated into 440 packages, CBP said. The street value of the marijuana was estimated at about $210,980.

"Our officers' experience combined with the use of available tools continues to keep dangerous drugs from entering our country," said Acting Port Director Carlos Rodriguez of the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.

The case was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.