Illegal Pot Found Buried in Jalapeno Peppers

The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is congratulating federal officials along the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa, California, for seizing a large amount of marijuana smuggled in a shipment of jalapeno peppers.

The officers found 7,560 pounds of marijuana in a shipment of jalapeno peppers, according to Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan.

• Arrests and Shields, Metal Poles Seized at Portland Protests

"Very proud of our CBP officers in Otay Mesa," said Morgan as he shared a photo of the seizure on Twitter.

[[549464421,C]]

• Philadelphia Standoff Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder

Even though voters in California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, the sale of illegal marijuana is still rampant throughout the state.

Last month, NBC 7 shared a recent report suggesting an underground economy is cutting into the profits of legal businesses.

• Pitbull Fights Off Shark to Save Owner in California

New Frontier Data, a Denver-based company that studies cannabis trends, estimates there are $70 billion in illegal sales nationally — seven times the size of the legal market.

Read more on that story here.

[[67754217,C]]

Photo Credit: US Customs and Border Protection
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

from NBC New York - Top Stories https://ift.tt/2P0WdFk