Over $7M, Hundreds Of Pounds Of Illegal Drugs Seized At Michigan Entry Ports

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced mass seizures of illegal drugs, guns and cash at Michigan ports of entry last year.

In a press conference on Wednesday, the agency announced they inspected over 17,000 passenger cars, 6,500 commercial vehicles, 29 commercial aircraft and 15 cargo trains on a daily basis coming from Canada. They noted that Detroit led the nation in interceptions of unreported currency and biologic specimens. The total amount cash seized by the CBP Detroit field reached more then $7.8 million.

Christopher Perry, Director of Field Operations for CBP in Detroit, lauded the agency’s accomplishments for the year. “During this challenging year our officers assigned around the Detroit field office worked countless hours to safeguard the American homeland at and beyond our nation’s borders. Our officers steadfastly enforced the laws of the United States while fostering our nation’s economic security through lawful international trade and travel which is vital to Michigan and the great lakes region,” he said.

Drugs were the primary objects of seizure at ports of entry along the Michigan-Canada border. Agents seized 495 pounds of marijuana, 10 pounds of Fentanyl, 600 pounds of cocaine and 13 pounds of meth, which resulted in 549 arrests and the seizure of 62 firearms. As the world concerns itself primarily with tracking along the southern border, drugs, guns and other contraband continue to flood the border.

The Canadian border remains an area of heavy trafficking of guns, drugs, cash and other items. From January 2017 to March 2018, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police intercepted 25,645 people crossing the border into Canada illegally. Public Safety Canada estimated that another 2,500 came across in April 2018 for a total of just over 28,000, of which 1,000 had been removed from Canada. CBP continues to search for more robust strategies in combatting illegal smuggling.