Drug busts at border ports in US, Canada top $31M; rail theft surging

Agents for the Canada Border Services Agency said the drugs were discovered in a tractor-trailer crossing from the U.S. into Canada.

Karamveer Singh, 27, of Brampton, Ontario, was arrested and charged with importation of cocaine, and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge found $6.7 million in methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of tomatillos from Mexico.

On June 10, CBP officers were checking a tractor-trailer arriving from Mexico at the bridge in Pharr, Texas, when they found 166 packages of alleged methamphetamine concealed in the shipment.

CBP seized the narcotics and the tractor-trailer, and the case was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security.

Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge

More than $4.85 million in cocaine was seized by border agents on June 3 at the Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge in Laredo, Texas.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection were inspecting an empty 2013 Fontaine commercial trailer and discovered 149 packages containing 363 pounds of alleged cocaine.

CBP seized the narcotics and the trailer, and the case was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security.

Montreal’s Marine and Rail Service

The Canadian Border Services Agency seized $4.8 million worth of marijuana at Montreal’s Marine and Rail Service on April 30.

Officers discovered 1415.37-pounds of drugs concealed in 1,023 vacuum-sealed packages hidden in custom-built crates and surrounded by bundles of engineered wood in a shipping container, according to a news release.

Authorities said the shipping container was bound for Spain.

The marijuana was seized and turned over to the Royal Canadian Mountain Police, which is investigating the matter.

Overhaul helps recover pilfered rail freight

Supply chain risk management firm Overhaul recently worked with law enforcement to recover stolen rail freight cargo from three separate pilferage cases in California and Illinois.

In California, both incidents occurred on June 19, according to a news release.

“Both thefts occurred on different trains … targeting the same product type, battery operated power tools,” Overhaul said.  

The first recovery was completed on the same day of the theft, with officers from BNSF Railway responding to the location of an alert indicating that a container had been opened. 

The pilfered cargo was found near the tracks at the indicated location near Needles, California, a common tactic for thieves who plan to return to collect the stolen goods, Overhaul said.  

The second recovery was completed on June 23 in the Los Angeles area, with Overhaul working with BNSF police and the California Highway Patrol, who were able to track the stolen cargo over the weekend to a warehouse facility.

The third case occurred around June 26, when Overhaul said helped authorities facilitate the recovery of 70 boxes of rail freight after a pilferage incident near an intermodal facility in Chicago.