U.S. border agents seize $3.7 million in cocaine hidden in cucumber shipment

Customs and Border Protection agents seized 278.88 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $3,723,654 from a tractor-trailer at the Pharr International Bridge near the southernmost point of Texas last Wednesday. The load was discovered during a routine inspection when a canine unit and a nonintrusive imaging system scan identified anomalies in a shipment listed as cucumbers.

Agents recovered 112 packages from the vehicle.

Earlier smuggling attempts CBP has reported other recent attempts to conceal narcotics in commercial shipments. In February, agents stopped a truckload of roses that contained more than 515 pounds of cocaine. On April 2, officers seized 298 pounds of cocaine valued at roughly $2.6 million from a truck carrying carrots.

Later in April, agents prevented a vehicle carrying a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 16 AK rifles, and other weapons components from crossing the border. Port officials stated that the cucumber seizure underscores the need for continued scrutiny at ports of entry even as illegal crossings have declined from more than 144,000 encounters in December 2024 to about 10,000 in April.

"This interception is a powerful reminder that our CBP officers are on duty 24/7, employing every resource to detect and deter those who attempt to exploit our borders," a port official said.