On June 17, US Border Patrol agents say they were alerted to more than 100 pounds of cannabis left on a path on the US side of the Niagara River north of Niagara Falls.

A “concerned citizen” who was walking a trail in Whirlpool State Park at 2:00am is said to have contacted New York State Parks Police after seeing a person first dragging what appeared to be multiple plastic-wrapped packages. Upon being seen, the person reportedly fled, leaving behind several large black packages.  

US Border Patrol agents responded, and a search of the area for suspects and/or other contraband was conducted with the assistance of the Buffalo Air Unit, Air and Marine Operations and the New York State Police and Parks Police. Ten packages with a total weight of 118 pounds were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol. The contents of the packages field-tested positive for the properties of cannabis.

It’s unclear where the packages came from and the incident is currently under investigation. New York State has seen several large seizures of cannabis in the past year, including near the Niagara Falls border crossing. In June 2020 a man was found unconscious in the Detroit River tied to a “bushel” of over 200kg of cannabis, near Celeron Island, a small island on the US side of the river. 

“This demonstrates the valuable relationship we have with our community and the citizens of Niagara Falls and the importance of being vigilant to suspicious behaviour near the border. With their help, our agents and local area partners continue to prevent the illegal smuggling of narcotics, people, weapons, and other contraband into the United States” said Patrol Agent in Charge Brady Waikel, of the Niagara Falls Border Patrol Station.