FAST driver caught with large drug shipment
Border authorities in Nogales, Ariz., on Friday seized more than a ton of marijuana worth $4.5 million hidden in a commercial shipment of tomatoes.
The truck was scanned by a mobile gamma-ray inspection system after the officer at the entry booth noticed the driver acting nervous, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. A subsequent physical inspection uncovered bundles of the drug stashed between the pallets.
The 40-year-old driver was arrested and had his FAST card privileges revoked. Free and Secure Trade (FAST) is a CBP program designed to expedite cross-border clearance for pre-certified truck drivers and trucking companies hired by trusted importers in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.
The greatest number of suspensions from the C-TPAT program involves highway carriers serving the Mexican market because of the high-risk of drug smuggling through legitimate trade channels.
