More than a thousand tubes of toothpaste, containing a compound found in antifreeze, were confiscated at the Port of Charleston in July. Antifreeze is deadly when ingested by humans.

So, why are we just finding out about it now?  The port's assistant director says it took officials about three months to figure out what was in the toothpaste. The United States Customs and Border Protection office says the 1,440 tubes of toothpaste were seized in July as part of a routine cargo check. The office says the 6.44 ounce tubes of Crescent toothpaste were carried by boat in a standard sized container.

"We worked with the Food and Drug Administration to target the shipment of interest," said Port of Charleston Assistant Director Joanne Fogg.

Officers at the Port of Charleston enforce rules put into place from several federal agencies.
"We subsequently inspected the shipment, and we sent it to the lab. The lab tested it positively for DEG," added Fogg.

DEG is short for diethylene glycol. It's an organic compound found in antifreeze which is toxic to humans and animals.

The shipment of toothpaste, worth $7,000, was in shrink wrap marked "Made in China", but the boxes themselves said "Made in India."

The port's assistant director says the toothpaste was shipped from China. She declined to say where it was going. 

Yet to be answered: Was the toxic compound put into the toothpaste intentionally?

All of the toothpaste will be destroyed once the investigation is complete.

The Consumer Product and Safety Commission says 40 percent of products imported into the U.S. comes from China.