87,000 beer cans and bottles destroyed after piling up at border throughout pandemic
Mexicali city officials and crews from the Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks pose for a picture after 87,000 beer containers were destroyed in Mexicali, Baja California. (Courtesy: Cofepris)
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MEXICALI (Border Report) — Some are calling this a tragedy and a waste of epic proportions as 87,000 cans and bottles of beer were flattened by a giant road roller to get rid of products confiscated at the Baja California-California border.
The beer was seized as COVID-19 spread throughout Mexico.
During the pandemic, beer was deemed “non-essential” and its production south of the border became almost non-existent.
Mexico quickly ran out of domestic brands such as Corona, Dos Equis and Modelo.
For many months, long lines at stores and supermarkets became the norm as people desperately searched for beer.
Many residents proceeded to stock up on beer north of the border bringing it to Mexico.
In border towns such as Mexicali, about 120 miles east of Tijuana, police and Mexican Customs officers began conducting inspections of cars heading into Mexico — importing alcoholic products into Mexico is prohibited without permits.
Cases and cases of beer were confiscated over many months.
At one point, the then-mayor of Mexicali considered selling the beer as a way to raise funds, but the idea was shot down.
The confiscated beer was kept at a city-owned facility in Mexicali where it was destroyed this week.
Various news outlets were allowed to document the “decommission” of the brews.
Videos show a giant roller crushing and smashing bottles and cans that were neatly laid out on a parking lot at a city maintenance yard.
As the roller steams over the containers, a stream of beer and foam can be seen spreading on the asphalt.
City officials said the confiscated beer had turned into a health hazard as rats, spiders and other insects had begun settling in the stacked beer.
According to city officials, it took this long to get rid of the beer because a court had yet to approve the destruction of the suds.
They say, 5,000 cans of beer remain in storage waiting for another legal ruling.
Recycling of the cans and bottles was considered, but the city said it would’ve been too time-consuming and unsanitary for employees to cycle through the waste.
It was decided to simply take all the glass and aluminum to a landfill.
