Cabbage heads filled with meth balls land Mexican man in prison
by: Sandra Sanchez
Posted: Jun 6, 2025 / 05:27 PM CDT
Updated: Jun 6, 2025 / 05:27 PM CDT
PHARR, Texas (Border Report) — A Mexican national has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after law enforcement found methamphetamine concealed inside cabbage heads, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.
Jose Angel Ibarra-Rojas, 36, pleaded guilty to drug possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced on June 4 by U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton in McAllen, ICE officials said.
According to court documents, Ibarra-Rojas was a passenger in a tractor-trailer when he was arrested during a traffic stop on June 18, 2024 in Pharr, Texas. Officials said a search of the truck revealed 1,154 plastic-wrapped packages containing crystal meth hidden in a load of cabbages in the cargo area.
The drugs had an estimated street value of over $2.8 million and were hidden in balls inside individual cabbage heads that had their innards removed and were covered with outer leaves, ICE says.
https://www.borderreport.com/immigration/border-crime/cabbage-heads-filled-with-meth-balls-land-mexican-man-in-prison/