SAN DIEGO — Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 4 tons of marijuana Thursday after finding it hidden in a shipment of jalapeno peppers, according to authorities.
Officials found the marijuana wrapped in 314 large packages while searching a tractor-trailer at the Otay Mesa cargo facility in San Diego, officials said. The marijuana weighed about 7,560 pounds and had an estimated street value of $2.3 million.
"Not only did they prevent the drugs from reaching our community, they also prevented millions of dollars of potential profit from making it into the hands of a transnational criminal organization," Hernandez said.
In a statement released by CBP, Otay Mesa Port Director Rose Hernandez praised officers for the seizure of the "significant marijuana load."
Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan also praised officers in a statement posted Friday on Twitter and noted the incident marked the second large marijuana seizure in several days at the Otay Mesa cargo facility.
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