Marijuana seized in banana shipment at San Diego border crossing

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in San Diego found more than $1 million worth of marijuana hidden in a shipment of bananas at the Mexico border, officials said Wednesday.

A drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the shipment Monday when a 40-year-old Mexican truck driver applied to cross into the United States at the Otay Mesa cargo facility, the agency said in a statement.

When officers opened the boxes in the truck, they found 235 packages of marijuana weighing nearly a ton hidden among bunches of bananas, the statement said. Officers seized the marijuana, which is worth an estimated $1.17 million.

The driver was arrested by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Last week, 315 packages of marijuana weighing 3,877 pounds were found hidden in a shipment of peppers and beans at the cargo facility.

-- Alexandra Zavis

Photo: Part of the shipment of bananas in which marijuana was found. Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Comments

[John]

They call it mellow yellow...

Peppers and beans... write your own jokes.

[jus-me]

Once legal these guys will have to find something else to smuggle.

[Art Ghecko]

Oh, No! This means my bananas didn't get through! What will I smoke at 4:20?

[Jack Mack]

Proof that marijuana should be legalized even further. It's time to put these violent drug cartels to the the curb, and allow the taxation and legalization of a substance less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, and most pharmaceutical drugs.

When these Mexican drug organizations are actively opposing legalization in California, hence siding with our very own DA Cooley, then we know we have come to a crossroads and the public's action needs to be taken.

End the prohibition, and in turn we stop funding murderous drug lords who make millions from marijuana being illegal. We stop throwing non-violent criminals in jail for a harmless weed, thus ending to insane amount of prison costs and use those funds to elsewhere....such as creating jobs for the many, rathet than more overtime for a few thousand prison guards who are making six figures (and no surprise are also against marijuana legalization).

Let's end the facade.

[Jeff]

You wouldn't have to worry about this if marijuana was already legal in Cali

[Otis]

Make it legal and tax it - criminals out of business and mucho money to the State. Problem solved.

[TYC]

So? Once again I ask...

Why do we continue to do the same thing over and over expecting different results?

Legalize and regulate. Geez, when's the last time you saw Budweiser and Miller fighting Coors for store shelve rights and distribution routes?

Yes, the War on Drugs is an insane. We fight for no gain or obvious benefit.

[Jack]

I think it's about time we legalize Marijuana and control it like we do alcohol. The war on Marijuana is a lost cause and a huge waste of tax dollars. If people want to smoke, they will smoke, why not have it in the open and legal so people are safe. Marijuana is not as harmful as alcohol or tobacco which happen to kill thousands of people every year. Marijuana has never caused anyones death and that's according to our own Gov. statistics. There is no real reason to keep Marijuana illegal except for there are a lot of powerful people making money keeping it illegal. Eating fast food everyday will kill you faster then smoking everyday. I know personally, I've been smoking Marijuana for over 10 years pretty much everyday. If had been eating fast food I would've died of a heart attack. Marijuana is not for everybody just like alcohol isn't for everybody, but the responsible people shouldn't be punished for the actions of the stupid.

[Alex]

All these millions of dollars going to the drug cartels in Mexico can remain here and circulate in California/USA, create jobs, and taxes can be collected on it for the state's budget deficit if it was legalized. Because of this prohibition, we're fueling drug wars, murders, suffering economically, and spending money for more resources to bust marijuana smugglers/dealers. People who want to smoke weed are gonna smoke it whether or not its legal, why not make it like alcohol and control/tax it?

[Auto Glass]

Wow!

[Greg]

Just wondering what there are going to do with all those "BUZDNANA'S"?

[TANGYTOO]

is this going to make the price of corn cob pipes go up or down??

[Juan]

Send me those Bananas

[SteveInOC]

It would've made more sense to me if they had packed it in cartons of Doritos. I don't know anyone who has the munchies for bananas after burning one.

[Brad]

Good doggie!

[SYMPL1]

well what else did we open our borders to mexico trucking companys for

[nuffsaid]

BANANA-HUANA

[sickboytodd]

End this madness and focus on the heroine, coke and human smuggling!
Legalize.
My opinion, but makes some sense if you give it some thought.

[DC]

Imagine how much cocaine could be seized if they boycotted coffee. Hmmmm.

[mowta]

damn where can i get some of that "produce" from.... lol

[Casanova]

THey call it banana SPliff........haha

[Devi]

HAhahaaa!! That's funny. Not as funny as the weed found in the septic tank truck!! I still can't believe law enforcement still can't see the similarities between marijuana related crime and the same crimes that flourished during the alcohol prohibition.

[california resident]

I'm sorry. I'm against the legalization of weed, marajuana, pot, puff the magic dragon and so on. Reason being. You can have a casual pot smoker who proclaims he's got OCD, STRESS, or any other variety of ridiculous ailments and they have been given a license. The people that are dying of horrendous diseases such as Aids or Cancer who truly need this medicine will end up not getting it because the casual pot smokers have turned this into a obsession. I went from having a hard working blue collared neighbor who took care of his yard his family and his daily responsibilities to a pot growin NO WORKIN, abusive man who has lost his business, his wife, his children and HOPEFULLY HIS RUN DOWN HOUSE SOON.
I grew up in the 70's and god knows I had my share of wild days and 10 years ago if you asked me should we legalize it I would have said "WHO CARES" what people chose to do is their own business. Well, I disagree now. Because this is being taken to the extreme and now people's true colors are coming out and i'm sorry. My neighborhood ONCE NICE has turned into a slum because smokin the bong is more important than picking up your 5 stupid newspapers sitting in your driveway. Get a life, and grow up people.

[DocChronic]

Horrible arguement california resident. Gee i guess no one has ever lost a job or a wife or a house from alcohol have they? You got one loser that has a problem living next door to you and now the neighborhood has gone to "pot" so to speak. Time to make alcohol and gambling and everything else illegal. Aids and Cancer patients won't be able to get it because all the casual users are suddenly going to smoke all the supply? That is laughable. Oh yeah as soon as it's legal my consumption will go up 100x. Hilarious.

[CALIFORNIA RESIDENT]

Yes, People who drink alcohol TOO MUCH also lose their homes, wives jobs etc. But the difference is they are not paranoid. This guy was completely normal But you must realize the marajuana that is being grown is a UNHEALTHY STRONG STRONG QUALITY. And i'm sorry. If you have stress issues, or minor medical health issues they shouldn't have been so willing to hand out these medical marajuana cards. They where passing them out like condoms at a adult film convention. It is ridiculous. They started this whole process with zero guidelines. The average POT SMOKER does not need 4 plants at a time to survive. That is a huge amount of marajuana. And they are actually allowed more than that. The plants have to be at different stages. I am all for people with horrific diseases such as Aids, or Cancer.... Terminal patience...Yes, i'm all for it. But no one has set any guidelines or rules. So you have teenage pot heads, you've got middle aged people WHO THEIR life revolves around this. They go to meetings and have rallies. Nevermind what he's doing to the value of my house. I mean, while we are at it, why don't we make crack legal and prostitution I mean, people should be able to make their own choices right.
And for the record, how many people a year are killed by drunk drivers. I'm not saying illegalize drinking (i don't do that either) but i am saying MAKE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.... I can't smoke a cigarette at the beach in California but YOU CAN GROW WEED IN YOUR HOUSE AND EFFECT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND THERE'S NOT A DANG THING IN THE WORLD I CAN DO ABOUT IT.
GIVE AN inch, PEOPLE want a mile. So i say NO....DON'T LEGALIZE IT.