More than $1 million worth of methamphetamine was confiscated by the United States Custom and Border Protection officers in Southern California. According to Transportation Nation, the officers came across a man driving a tractor and was trying to cross the border of the U.S. bound from Mexico. The officers confiscated the large number of narcotics in the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility around 6:30 P.M.

Meth Disguised as Spinach

One American News Network noted that the narcotics were disguised as spinach, making it less obvious for the people to spot that the shipment from Mexico is a drug. The trucker aged 49, who was tasked to take the shipment across the border was given an ultimatum, after claiming that the shipment was fresh spinach from their country.

San Diego Union-Tribune reported that that the shipment weighed 580 pounds with 127 total packages. Along with the methamphetamine, the truck used by the 49-year-old driver was also seized by the authorities. Customs Border Protection officers issued the tractor for the X-ray imaging system to make sure. But the methamphetamine, wrapped in paper and mixed with actual produce, was not able to deceive the drug-sniffing dog of the authorities which alerted them about the situation.

San Diego tribune mentioned Supervisory Officer and spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection, Javier Garcia, said that the 49-year-old driver of the tractor is expected to face federal criminal charges.

Port Director of Otay Mesa Port of Entry Rosa Hernandez noted in the Customs and Border Protection release that they are aggressively fighting the entrance or flow of illegal drugs so that it will not reach the American communities. Hernandez added that the officers of Customs and Border protection continues to "expedite legitimate trade and travel" without compromising the protection of the country.

Narcotics Use in the U.S.

Money laundering and drug trafficking are two of the issues that the United States is facing. RAND Corporation shared in their report that in 2016, people who use drugs in the United States spend order costing about $150 billion on marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. However, in 2015, the consumption of cocaine slowed down.

RAND Corporation added that the estimates of the use of Methamphetamine among Americans are uncertain because its Illegal usage is not usually captured or recorded in the national data.

National Institutes on Drug Abuse noted that the Methamphetamine that was seized by the Custom and Border Protection was classified by the U.S Government to be Schedule II Stimulant, meaning it is legally available only through nonrefillable prescription as a treatment for ADHD.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that affects the central nervous system. Its appearance is usually in the form of white powdered crystalline that can easily be diluted in liquids like water and alcohol. The effects of methamphetamine are increased talkativeness, euphoria, and decreased appetite. However, much greater of this drug goes into the brain and has long-lasting and more harmful effects on the central nervous system.

WATCH: Methamphetamine (meth) Drug Facts, Animation - from Alila Medical Media