CBP takes hold of another half-ton of marijuana

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Lewiston cargo facility seized another 1,070 pounds of marijuana in a commercial shipment.

On Monday, CBP officers assigned to the Port of Buffalo at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge selected a commercial shipment that was manifested as “cardboard” for additional examination. The truck and trailer were sent for a nonintrusive examination that revealed anomalies in the trailer. After the truck was escorted to the dock, a canine search produced an alert on the pallets of cardboard. A subsequent physical inspection of the shipment revealed vacuum-sealed bags contained within the pallets.

CBP officers then performed a thorough inventory of the shipment that resulted in the seizure of 973 packages of marijuana. The contents of the vacuum-sealed bags field-tested positive for the properties of marijuana and has an estimated street value of more than $2.1 million.

“Port of Buffalo officers continue to remain vigilant and enforcement-focused through these unprecedented times,” said Acting Buffalo Port Director Gaetano Cordone. “Their efforts have again led to another impressive seizure, keeping dangerous narcotics out of our communities.”

The Buffalo Field Office, which covers 16 ports of entry throughout New York, continues to add to the more than 1,600 drug seizures since travel restrictions were implemented last March.