$10M In Meth, Cocaine Found In Vats Of Jalapeño Paste: Authorities

SAN DIEGO, CA — Authorities discovered more than $10 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine inside a shipment of jalapeño paste at the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A 28-year-old semitrailer driver with a valid border crossing card was at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when a K-9 alerted officers to examine the man’s shipment of jalapeño paste more closely, authorities said. Officers found 349 suspicious packages in the vats of paste, according to the agency.

Inside the packages were 3,161.43 pounds of methamphetamine and 522.5 pounds of cocaine with a combined street value of $10.43 million, authorities said. Officers seized the drugs and trailer, while the driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for processing, according to authorities.

“Our K-9 teams are an invaluable component of our counter-narcotics operations, providing a reliable and unequaled mobile detection capability,” Otay Mesa Port Director Rosa Hernandez said in a news release.