An empty semi-trailer headed toward Canada concealed approximately 450 pounds of cocaine beneath its floor. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered the shipment Sept. 22 at Lewiston Bridge in New York. The narcotics carried an estimated street value of about $6 million. Investigators ultimately uncovered 174 vacuum-sealed packages inside the modified structure.
The encounter began in an outbound lane at the Port of Buffalo crossing. A 21-year-old Canadian man drove the commercial truck and trailer toward the border. Officers conducted an initial physical inspection and noticed modifications to the floor. A CBP canine searched the vacant equipment and alerted to narcotics.
Authorities then escorted the vehicle to secondary inspection for additional examination. Officers used nonintrusive technology to look further into the equipment. That screening revealed anomalies within the floor. A follow-up search exposed the concealed packages.
174 packages found beneath trailer floor
Investigators tested the suspected substance after removing the vacuum-sealed bundles. Field testing returned a positive result for cocaine. CBP placed the approximate combined weight at 450 pounds. The agency valued the narcotics at roughly $6 million on the street.
CBP referred the matter to Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo for investigational review. The Sept. 29 announcement did not identify the driver by name. Officials provided no additional information about the equipment’s ownership. The release also offered no further details about the shipment’s origin.
Sharon Swiatek, acting port director for the Area Port of Buffalo, credited personnel involved with the discovery. “This significant seizure highlights the exceptional vigilance, advanced training and relentless dedication of our CBP officers and canine teams,” Swiatek said. She specifically referenced personnel working at the Lewiston Bridge border crossing. Her statement also highlighted the agency’s outbound enforcement mission.
CBP highlights outbound inspections
“While a large focus of our border security mission is on inbound threats,” Swiatek said. She added that personnel “remain equally sharp during outbound operations.” Those efforts target transborder criminal networks and disrupt narcotics movement, according to her statement. Swiatek also referenced protecting communities on both sides of the border.
CBP screens international travelers and cargo moving through U.S. ports of entry. Those operations cover inbound and outbound traffic. Personnel search for narcotics, unreported currency, weapons and counterfeit consumer goods. Their mission also covers prohibited agriculture, invasive pests and other illicit products.
The Lewiston discovery was not the first recent case involving contraband concealed beneath commercial equipment. In August, CBP officers in California found more than $20 million in cocaine beneath a trailer’s floorboards. That seizure involved 1,002 pounds discovered during an inspection at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Authorities uncovered the narcotics after screening revealed anomalies within the structure.
Why it matters
An empty trailer gave officers no visible cargo to inspect, but the equipment itself concealed 450 pounds of cocaine. The seizure shows why commercial vehicle inspections must look beyond what appears on the trailer floor.
Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.
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