They covered themselves with protective suits, gloves and masks and put plastic bags over their boots. That's how dangerous the substance U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were examining Wednesday morning was.
A group of agents — veterans who had seized fentanyl, heroin and other illicit narcotics in previous raids — dug deep, with their hands and boots, into a sea of acrid material before finding profitable ground.
What agents said they found was nearly two tons of methamphetamine and cocaine, valued at $10.4 million, buried inside dozens of vats of fiery jalapeno paste. The cargo was seized from a commercial truck near the Otay Mesa border.
“It was an extremely spicy situation,” CBP spokesman Michael Scappechio told The Times. “You never really know what you're dealing with in terms of dangerous narcotics and then you throw all that organic material in there; We had to take out all the PPE” or personal protective equipment.
A 28-year-old man with valid border crossing credentials was detained Wednesday around 10:36 a.m. by agents while transporting his cargo. The individual was a Mexican citizen, according to Scappechio.
Their electronic shipping manifest included only vats of jalapeno paste among their shipment.
Customs agents decided to search the man's loot.
In total, 349 packages of methamphetamine and cocaine weighing 3,684 pounds were seized.
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
“We will not expose the reasons that led to a more detailed examination,” Scappechio said, “but often the agent's suspicion is used.”
The truck was transported from the border to nearby screening facilities, where a K-9 unit inspected the cargo and alerted agents for a full inspection.
There, they poured barrel-sized drums of jalapeño paste and removed 349 suspicious packages from the vats. About 3,161 pounds of methamphetamine and 523 pounds of cocaine were recovered from the loot.
The driver was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for arrest and processing while CBP seized the drugs and trailer.
Never underestimate the power of a dog's nose.
“Our K-9 teams are an invaluable component of our counternarcotics operations, providing reliable and unmatched mobile detection capability,” Rosa Hernández said in a statement. The Otay Mesa port director said CBP had stepped up its efforts “to protect communities and quell the growth of transnational criminal organizations, one seizure after another.”
Last month, the San Diego field office seized more than 14,000 pounds of narcotics at California land borders.
But what's going to happen to all that jalapeño paste?
Scappechio said he couldn't say for sure, but noted that the agency “wasn't going to retain organic material for very long” before destroying it. He said the owner could apply for repossession of the property.
“Since the jalapeno paste was loaded with dangerous drugs,” Scappechio said, “I wouldn't hold my breath.”
