Cucumber shipment hid hundreds of pounds of cocaine in Arizona, officials say

Authorities in Arizona said they found over 600 pounds of cocaine inside a shipment of cucumbers being smuggled into the U.S.

Homeland Security Investigations Arizona said in a Feb. 16 tweet that the agency worked with Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration to intercept the shipment.

The incident follows another on Feb. 14, in which a Phoenix man was arrested after being accused of possessing nearly 880 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 110 pounds of suspected fentanyl, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection.

The 47-year-old man was attempting to enter the U.S. through the Port of Lukeville when CBP agents referred his vehicle for additional inspection. The search, which involved the use of a narcotics detection K-9, led to the discovery of 129 packages of drugs inside the RV, the release said.

The drugs were worth around $4.4 million, officials estimate. The man was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations, the release said.

This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Cucumber shipment hid hundreds of pounds of cocaine in Arizona, officials say."