The driver of a truck bringing a commercial load of marijuana products from Calgary, Alberta to Port Coquitlam, B.C. somehow managed to take a few wrong turns and ended up at the U.S. truck crossing at Pacific Highway. Presumably surprised CBP agents seized the shipment weighing nearly 875 pounds and released the driver and the truck.
The incident took place May 16 but was not announced by CBP, which generally publicizes large seizures. A request for information was denied on June 17 due to CBP policy that it “cannot comment regarding incidents that are a matter of pending litigation.” However, a follow up inquiry by The Northern Light pointed out that no lawsuit had ever been filed and asked for an update. In response, CBP public information officer Jason Givens replied on October 20 that, “The driver said he was traveling domestically in Canada and was not seeking entry to the U.S. and had made a wrong turn, ending up at the CBP Pacific Highway Cargo Facility.
“The driver presented paperwork that verified the shipment was a commercial load of marijuana shipped from Calgary, Alberta, destined to Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. CBP officers seized the marijuana which had a total weight of nearly 875 pounds. The driver was inadmissible to the U.S. due to past criminal convictions. He was allowed to return to Canada. The commercial truck was not seized.”
It is believed that the shipment was worth in the neighborhood of $450-500,000. It is a federal crime to bring marijuana, a Schedule 1 drug, across the U.S./Canada border even though it is legal in both B.C. and Washington state. Doing so or admitting your purpose in entering the U.S. is to buy or use marijuana will result in being deemed inadmissible to the U.S. or being charged, depending upon the severity of the traveler’s infraction.
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