Celery was used to conceal over 2,500 pounds of methamphetamines that federal agents found in a truck at a farmers market outside Atlanta, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
In one of the largest seizures of its kind, agents seized the drugs, valued at approximately $3.2 million, being delivered to the Atlanta State Farmer’s Market in Forest Park, Georgia, as reported by the DEA.
The agency had received information about a semitrailer crossing the Mexican border and was able to track the drugs to the farmer’s market, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert Murphy. The drugs were discovered inside the truck.
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“The drugs were hidden in a load of celery,” Murphy explained. “We had to dispose of the celery, so it never made it to the store.”
The driver, identified as Jesus Martinez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested, as reported by WAGA-TV.
Authorities mentioned that smugglers frequently use produce to hide drugs.
“This is an astonishing amount of drugs being transported at once to a destination so far from the border,” Murphy stated. “It also demonstrates the confidence of the cartel involved in this operation.”
The DEA is continuing its investigation, focusing on dismantling the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, which are said to be responsible for the majority of fentanyl and methamphetamine-related deaths in the United States.
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