A shipment of overripe fruit to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice contained 540 packages of cocaine with an estimated street value of $17,820,000, authorities told NBC News.
On Friday, the Texas officials received a donation of 45 boxes filled with bunches of unclaimed bananas.
Upon pickup at the Wayne Scott Unit in Brazoria County, however, correction officers discovered something peculiar.
“Sometimes, life gives you lemons. Sometimes, it gives you bananas,” the Department of Criminal Justice wrote on its Facebook page. “And sometimes, it gives you something you’d never expect!”
Surprised at the weight difference between various boxes, one officer proceeded to open up a box and was shocked at what he saw.
U.S. Customs arrived on the scene where they confirmed the substance to be cocaine that was smuggled into the United States from an undisclosed location.