Border Patrol: Officers find $3M worth of meth concealed with carrots at US-Mexico border

Officers say they were able to seize a concealed shipment of methamphetamine worth millions of dollars from entering the United States.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, more than $3 million worth of meth was discovered in a shipment of carrots at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility in San Diego on Dec. 1.

Border Patrol officers said they found the concealed drugs as a 43-year-old truck driver tried to enter the country from Mexico. The driver had a valid border crossing card and was flagged for further examination, along with the truck and shipment.

According to the agency, officers found a total of 628 packages concealed within the shipment of carrots after a K-9 team alerted them to the presence of narcotics.

Officers said the narcotics were tested and identified as methamphetamine that weighed about 1,435 pounds with an estimated street value of more than $3 million.

“These types of narcotic interceptions play a critical role in our border security mission,” Otay Mesa Port Director Rosa Hernandez said. “Our officers will continue to remain vigilant, working hard to detect these smuggling techniques.”

The driver was transferred into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for more processing. CBP officers seized the tractor-trailer and drugs.

Puppy mill bust: Police rescue 180 animals living in ‘horrible and inhumane conditions’

Brick Township, N.J.

Police in New Jersey say they have arrested two people along with rescuing nearly 200 animals living in deplorable conditions.

According to the Brick Township Police Department, humane law enforcement officers responded to an anonymous complaint about residents inside a home on Arrowhead Park Drive running a puppy mill.

Officers said they met on Dec. 2 with two of the home’s residents identified as 49-year-old Aimee Lonczak and 58-year-old Michele Nycz regarding the complaint.

While speaking with Lonczak and Nycz, officers reported smelling a strong odor coming from the home while hearing barking dogs.

The officers said they were permitted to enter the home and immediately noticed a strong odor along with unsanitary conditions. The team observed stacks of animal crates on top of each other with dogs and cats inside.

Because of the conditions, the officers said they were forced to exit and requested a hazmat team.

Initially, officers estimated that there were about 30 animals contained within the residence. Once emergency response teams were able to get into the home, it became apparent that the number of animals was above 100.

According to Brick Township police, the home was full of animal waste and the animals were living in “horrible and inhumane conditions.” At least two animals removed were deceased, both of which were dogs.

Authorities said the number of animals that needed to be rescued called for a large response from agencies throughout central New Jersey.

Rescuers in hazmat equipment removed the animals, which took about 10 hours. The animals were then transported to many area shelters.

In total, 135 dogs and 45 cats were removed from the residence, according to police. A veterinarian checked the animals rescued from the home, and eight of them were sent for emergency veterinary care.

Lonczak and Nycz were arrested for animal cruelty and child endangerment, as a 16-year-old also lived at the home.

The police department said its investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may be filed. The residence has since been condemned.

Truck driver wins $25,000 a year for life after cashing $2 lottery ticket

Raleigh, N.C.

A truck driver in North Carolina won a lifetime prize after playing the lottery last month.

According to the NC Education Lottery, truck driver Alton Bailey will collect a payment of $25,000 a year for life after winning the prize through the Lucky for Life game.

Bailey, a truck driver for 25 years, said he arrived at lottery headquarters last week without knowing what prize awaited him.

“I really didn’t know how much I won until I got here,” he said. “I was just hoping it was something great.”

Bailey said he couldn’t believe it when he found out he won $25,000 a year for life.

“The first thing I did was smile,” Bailey said.

According to Bailey, he bought his lucky $2 ticket for the Nov. 30 drawing from Riley Hill Mart on Riley Hill Road in Wendell. He won his prize by matching all five white balls in the drawing.

Lottery officials said Bailey had the choice of receiving $25,000 a year or a $390,000 lump sum. He chose the yearly payment option and took home $17,748 in his first payment after taxes.

Bailey said he will use the winnings to do some home repairs.

Officials said the Lucky for Life game is one of four lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets through a retail location or online. Tickets are $2 and drawings are held nightly.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,813,028.

Minerals never seen on Earth before found in massive meteorite

A team of researchers discovered minerals they say have never been seen before on Earth.

According to the University of Alberta, the team found at least two such minerals in a 15-tonne meteorite, the ninth largest meteorite ever found, in Somalia.

“The chemistry of the rock was different than what’s been found before,” said Chris Herd, a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “That’s what makes this exciting: In this particular meteorite you have two officially described minerals that are new to science.”

The team said the minerals found came from a single 70-gram slice that was sent to the university for classification and may reveal clues to asteroid formation.

The two newly discovered minerals have since been named elaliite and elkinstantonite.

Herd said the first was named after the meteorite itself, dubbed the “El Ali” meteorite, because it was found near the town of El Ali, in the Hiiraan region of Somalia.

The professor said he named the second mineral after Lindy Elkins-Tanton, of Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration.

“Lindy has done a lot of work on how the cores of planets form, how iron-nickel cores form, and the closest analog we have are iron meteorites,” Herd said. “It made sense to name a mineral after her.”

With the help of researchers at UCLA and the California Institute of Technology, Herd said the meteorite has been classified as an “Iron, IAB complex” meteorite, one of 350 of that type.

Researchers are also continuing to examine the minerals to determine what they can tell about the conditions in the meteorite when it formed.

“I never thought I’d be involved in describing brand new minerals just by virtue of working on a meteorite,” Herd said.

According to Herd, any new mineral discoveries could possibly yield exciting new uses down the line.

“Whenever there’s a new material that’s known, material scientists are interested too because of the potential uses in a wide range of things in society,” Herd said.

‘Bad idea’: Man tries to steal from Walmart during Shop with a Cop event

St. Cloud, Fla.

Authorities in Florida say a man is facing charges after he attempted to steal from a store filled with law enforcement.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office reports a suspect attempted to steal from a Walmart in St. Cloud during its annual Shop with a Cop event for community children.

According to the sheriff’s office, the event included nearly 40 deputies in attendance along with the forensics team, community service team, and Sheriff Marcos Lopez inside the store.

Authorities identified the suspect as Brad and shared photos of the man in handcuffs along with the items confiscated.

The sheriff’s office called the attempted stealing a “bad idea.”