The relentless search for drugs in fruit shipments in Arizona

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Using advanced technology, customs officials at the Mariposa border port in Nogales, Arizona, inspect cargoes of fresh fruits, vegetables, animal products and other items entering the United States. The challenge is to find drugs, insects and diseases.

Edith Serrano, CBP Voce

“There are about 1,500 trucks a day, depending on the season.”

With the help of a trained dog, officials seized 146 kilograms of methamphetamine in a shipment of coal last month. Some of the bags contained packages of the drug camouflaged as logs mixed in with the coal.

According to Michael Humphries, director of the border ports in Nogales, technological advances now allow them to inspect 100 percent of the trucks that arrive in the country. They have found methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana in these shipments. The drugs are hidden in hidden compartments, inside boxes mixed in with fruits or vegetables and other products. The officers first observe nervousness in the drivers and look for contradictions in the declaration of the merchandise.

Michael Humphries, director of the Nogales border port

“We had a shipment of watermelons, 75 thousand pounds of watermelons (34,090 kilos), when we looked up where it was going, the address was an apartment complex in Phoenix, 75,000 pounds of watermelons for an apartment complex in Phoenix?

Shipments of avocados, bananas, mangoes, tortillas and a variety of other products are inspected by Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists and customs officers.

Edith Merino, spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection

“They are looking for insects or diseases that the fruit may carry in the mangoes to prevent them from entering the United States.”

Officials in Nogales highlighted the increase in methamphetamine crossings with the seizure of 4,000 kilos from October to July of this year, Paula Diaz, Nogales, Arizona.