According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, literally a ton of stimulants were discovered smuggled inside celery before arriving at an Atlanta farm stand.
The Atlanta Drug Enforcement Agency said its agents had busted a methamphetamine drop site planned by a Mexican drug cartel at a farm stand in Georgia.
At a press conference on Monday, authorities said the seizure was the largest in the history of the Atlanta area, with 2,380 pounds of methamphetamine ultimately recovered.
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This multi-agency operation prevented millions of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine from entering the American underground economy.
“This is the largest methamphetamine seizure by the Atlanta DEA and the third largest methamphetamine seizure overall by the DEA,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert Murphy said at a press conference.
DEA officials say literally a ton of methamphetamine that was destined for distribution across the Southeast is no longer a threat to communities.
The DEA announced a record-breaking raid in Atlanta on Monday, seizing a literal ton of methamphetamine. (My)
“We got a tip about a tractor-trailer coming across the Mexican border,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the methamphetamine was found inside a tractor-trailer that was being delivered to the Atlanta State Produce Market in Forest Park.
“It was in a bag of celery … it was hidden in the celery. Naturally, we threw the celery out. It never made it to the store,” Murphy said at a news conference.
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“It was in a bag of celery … it was hidden in the celery. Naturally, we threw the celery out. It never made it to the store,” Murphy said at a news conference.
Mexican national, 40-year-old Jesus Martinez Martinez, was arrested in connection with the seized methamphetamine, which Special Agent Murphy said has a wholesale value of $3 million.
“The cartel was confident enough in their methods to send such large amounts at one time,” Murphy added.
More than 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine was hidden in celery stalks and delivered to a farm shop in Atlanta for subsequent distribution throughout the Southeast. (My)
“This is a center of agricultural production for the United States, and when pharmaceuticals travel through there is the potential for contamination. We know that and it’s important to keep consumers safe,” Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper told FOX 5 Atlanta.
“We are sending this message loud and clear to those who seek to use agriculture as a means to an end, as a cover for criminal activity: you will be caught, you will be prosecuted and you will go to prison,” Harper said.
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The seized drugs will ultimately be tested, but the DEA believes the drugs intended for shipment only contained methamphetamine.
