A man was found lying face down in a shipment of chili peppers en route from Mexico to the US.

A man was found lying face down in a shipment of chili peppers en route from Mexico to the US.

His motivation for trying to hitch a ride may have stemmed from the consumption of too much tequila.

US Customs and Border Protection officials found him when the open-air vegetable truck stopped at a New Mexico checkpoint.

The Mexican national had made it about 300 feet over the US-Mexico border into the city of Columbus before he was spotted.

Customs workers pulled the 35-year-old man and his bottle of tequila out of the truck and asked him what he was doing there.

He replied that he was looking for a ride to Chicago.

Reportedly highly intoxicated, he was escorted back to his home country.

Considering the only sustenance he had for the long journey was the tequila and a bunch of hot peppers, it no doubt wouldn’t have been a pleasant trip anyway.

The man is said to have not sustained any damage from the chilies, and the chilies were believed to be doing just fine as well.

Following the removal of the intoxicated passenger, the truck was given clearance to continue on its way.