Here Are the Top 10 Drug Busts at the Port of Buffalo
Drug traffickers have been keeping the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency officers who work at the various ports of entry very busy, over the past five years, but especially since the start of the pandemic,
The Buffalo Field Office, which covers 16 ports of entry throughout New York State, continue to add to the more than 1,600 drug seizures since travel restrictions were implemented last March.
A total of 21,101 pounds of marijuana has been seized during these drug busts.
Here are 10 of the biggest drug busts over the past 5 years:
10. 118 Pounds - Marijuana
June 17, 2021 - Border Patrol Agents made another big bust here in Western New York. The U.S. Agents found a quarter of a million dollars worth of marijuana in Whirpool State Park in Niagara Falls. A witness noticed some suspicious activity and reported it to authorities. A person was allegedly dragging the packages of marijuana around 2 am. The suspect was walking along the trail lower Niagara River. While the suspect did flee the scene, the border patrol agents were able to recover the 10 packages, weighing 118 pounds. When they tested them, they were identified as marijuana.
9. 257 pounds - Marijuana
August 9, 2019 - Officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency seized 257 pounds of marijuana. The cannabis was hidden in boxes, which was presented as a commercial shipment.
8. 530 Pounds - Marijuana
August 6, 2020 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, assisted by a K-9 officer, discovered 530 pounds of marijuana in commercial shipments, which were listed as Numerical Control Machines. The seizure took place at the Peace Bridge / Port of Buffalo. The street value of the weed was estimated at $2 million.
7. 655 Pounds - Marijuana
March 11, 2021 - Officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency at the Peace Bridge Cargo Facility / Port of Buffalo found 655 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of more than $1.3 million dollars, in a commercial shipment. The manifest said the load was “empty plastic bottles.”
6. 936 pounds - Marijuana
On January 20, 2021 Border Patrol officers at the Lewiston Cargo Facility / Port of Buffalo seized 936 pounds of cannabis. The shipment was listed as phon accessories, but in reality, it was 840 packages of marijuana. The estimated street value of the weed was $1.9 million.
5. 1070 pounds - Marijuana
February 1, 2021 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Lewiston Cargo Facility / Port of Buffalo seized 1070 pounds of marijuana. A canine officer aided in the discovery of the weed, which was manifested as cardboard in a commercial shipment. Agents found 973 packages of marijuana worth more than $2.1 million dollars on the street.
4. 1,227 pounds - Marijuana
March 26, 2021 - Border Patrol Agents at the Peace Bridge Cargo Facility / Port of Buffalo found 1,227 pounds of marijuana in a commercial shipment with a manifest stating it was carrying paper towels and dishwasher detergent. The seizure had a street value estimated at over $2.4 million dollars.
3. 3,000 pounds - Marijuana
June 2021 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection working at the Lewiston Bridge / Port of Buffalo seized more than 3,000 pounds of cannabis. The marijuana was listed on the tractor-trailer's manifest as "paper." 1,275 packages, with an estimated street value of $2.8 million dollars, were discovered. Earlier in the week, officers found 1,663 pounds of marijuana, bringing the total to more than $3,000 pounds, with a value of $6 million.
2. 3,836 pounds - Marijuana
August 10, 2020 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized almost two tons of marijuana at the Peace Bridge / Port of Buffalo. The weed was hidden in cardboard boxes. The 3,836 pounds of marijuana had a street value of more than $8 million dollars.
1. 9,472 pounds - Marijuana
June 25, 2020 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers became suspicious of a tractor-trailer at the Peace Bridge Cargo Facility. Officers discovered 9,472 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle, which was driven by a 26-year-old man who was a citizen of India and a Permanent Resident of Canada. The seizure set a record,
This is the largest narcotics seizure recorded on the northern border and ranks 23rd in the United States, for a period covering the last 5-years.