Following the capture of nearly $2 million worth of cannabis on January 20, U.S. authorities now say they seized another $3.2 million in cannabis at a different port of entry on the same day.
The most recent shipment was discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Champlain Port of Entry Cargo Facility, where they found more than 1,545 lbs (700 kg) of cannabis in a commercial shipment manifested as used film reels. Another 936 lbs (425 kg) were discovered at the Lewiston Cargo Facility in Lewiston, New York, north of Niagara Falls.
During a secondary inspection of a vehicle at the Champlain crossing, a canine team alerted U.S. authorities to the presence of drugs within the shipment listed as used film reels. CBP officers then performed a physical examination and discovered six pallets containing vacuum–sealed packages of cannabis. The vacuum-sealed packages field-tested positive for the properties of cannabis and have an estimated street value of $3.2 million (about $4.50 a gram).
This is only the most recent seizure of cannabis coming into the US from Canada in the past year, following the closure of the border on March 21, 2020 due to the global pandemic. Authorities have discovered tens of millions of dollars worth of cannabis in several record-breaking seizures in 2020.
