Officers at Los Angeles International Airport uncovered more than 17 pounds of liquid methamphetamine concealed in plastic bottles labeled as dog shampoo this month.
Officials said the estimated street value of the recovered drugs, which were headed to Australia, is more than $1.8 million, according to a news release Wednesday.
On April 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at LAX inspected an outbound air cargo shipment declared as “Assorted Dog Shampoos,” which contained the 12 brightly colored bottles.
When the officers from the airport’s Outbound Enforcement Team opened the bottles, they saw a “crystallized white substance” that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Additional details about the intended destination or the party attempting to send the drugs were not released.
From October 2023 through September 2024, Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 174,000 pounds of meth coming into the country or being sent abroad, according to the release. Since last October, 64,000 pounds of meth have been intercepted.
Dog shampoo bottles are among the many creative ways smugglers have tried to sneak meth in and out of the country.
In March last year, a man tried to cross the border from Mexico with 3,000 pounds of meth hidden in a large shipment of carrots. In August, another tried to disguise 1,220 packages of meth as watermelons, with each round package wrapped in paper and painted two shades of green to mimic the fruit.
Andrew H. Douglas, the LAX area port director for Customs and Border Protection, applauded the officers for finding the drugs in the shampoo bottles.
“This significant seizure illustrates our officers’ vigilance, keen focus and commitment in disrupting transnational drug trafficking,” he said in a statement. “I’m very proud of their actions.”
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