Marijuana Cannon Seized By Border Officials
A marijuana cannon has been seized by border officials in Mexico. Authorities stated that the makeshift cannon was used to launch marijuana across the border from Mexico into California.
The cannon was reportedly seized in Mexicali, Mexico after authorities received a tip. US officials allegedly found numerous canisters of marijuana along the border in California in recent weeks. Some of the confiscated canisters weighed nearly 30 pounds.
As reported by NY Daily News, US officials contacted the police in Mexico and asked them to investigate the situation. Officials in Mexicali eventually recovered an old truck with a makeshift marijuana cannon in the back.
Police in Mexico report that the cannon was constructed with a plastic pipe attached to a homemade metal tank. The tank utilized compressed air from the truck’s engine to launch the marijuana canisters across the border.
Authorities discovered a similar situation last last year in Yuma, Arizona, near the border between California and Arizona. US Border Patrol agents discovered 33 canisters of marijuana worth over $42,000. As reported by CBS News, officials eventually recovered a “carbon dioxide tank” they suspect was used to fuel a cannon capable of launching canisters of marijuana up to 500 feet. Nearly 85 pounds of marijuana was recovered from the canisters.
Agents in the US and Mexico have learned to adapt as they are constantly faced with more innovative drug smuggling techniques. Smugglers have dug elaborate tunnels, built ramps, and used slingshot devices to catapult drugs across the border between Mexico and the US. The marijuana cannon is simply the latest creative effort to transport illegal drugs across the border.
