More than 1,000 pounds of cannabis seized by Customs and Border Protection in Detroit

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 1,000 pounds of cannabis at the Fort Street Cargo Facility in Detroit, Mich. on Sunday, Aug. 24 2020. (courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

Windsor, Ont. — A Canadian commercial truck driver claimed to be driving a truck full of steel wire — only for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to find more than 1,000 pounds of cannabis upon inspection.

Officers at the Fort Street Cargo Facility in Detroit discovered over 1,031 pounds of cannabis after inspecting the truck on Sunday.

“The Port of Detroit is proud to have prevented the exploitation of our borders and the introduction of illicit drugs into our communities”, said Detroit Port director Devin Chamberlain in a news release. “I am equally proud of our CBP Officers and Agriculture Specialists who remain vigilant in their efforts to protect the American people every day.”

CBP said the driver told officers the truck was headed to a distribution centre in Chicago.

Officers became suspicious and sent the shipment for additional inspection. They opened the first of five wooden crates and discovered it to be loaded with vacuum sealed packages — each containing cannabis.

The Detroit Field Office, which covers all ports of entry throughout the state of Michigan continues to see an increase in narcotics, the release states. Since March, CBP Field Operations has seized more than 5,500 pounds of marijuana at ports of entry across the state.