The Texas Department of Criminal Justice got a surprise when they opened donated boxes of bananas destined for prisoners.
The two pallets (45 boxes) of bananas included 540 packages of cocaine, according to the department.
The bananas were donated by the Freeport, Texas, Port of America, because they were already ripe.
Two sergeants from the department arrived at the port Sept. 21, according to a post on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Facebook page.
“One of the boxes felt different than the others,” according to the post. “They snipped the straps, pulled free the box, and opened it up. Inside, under a bundle of bananas, he found another bundle! Inside that? What appeared to be a powdery substance.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents tested the substance and confirmed it was cocaine. The street value of the cocaine is $17.8 million, according to the Facebook post.
The intended recipient of the shipment isn’t known, according to authorities. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case.
