Border drug busts in US, Canada top $90M in August

Authorities in the U.S. and Canada seized more than $90 million worth of narcotics in a series of truck inspections last month, uncovering massive shipments of cocaine and methamphetamine concealed in commercial loads of roses, broccoli and aluminum burr.

$32M in cocaine seized at Canada’s Blue Water Bridge
Officers with the Canada Border Services Agency stopped two cocaine shipments at the Blue Water Bridge, which connects Port Huron, Michigan, with Ontario. On Aug. 13, officers found 331 pounds of cocaine valued at $14 million in a tractor-trailer. A day later, another 219 pounds worth $18 million was discovered in a separate truck. Both drivers were arrested and turned over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, according to a news release.

$37M meth seizure in Laredo, Texas
In one of the largest busts, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Colombia–Solidarity International Bridge in Laredo found 4,241 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a truckload of aluminum burr on Aug. 29. The drugs are valued at $37 million.

Other Texas busts
— Pharr: Officers intercepted $13 million worth of meth hidden in a broccoli shipment, and $7.6 million in meth concealed in roses.
— Los Indios: Nearly $300,000 in cocaine was discovered in a tractor-trailer on Aug. 18.
— Eagle Pass: Officers found almost $489,000 in cocaine in a commercial truck at the Camino Real International Bridge.