Rental truck crossing Peace Bridge leads to marijuana seizure
June 16, 2025 at 8:31 PM
A man who crossed the Peace Bridge from Fort Erie into Buffalo on June 15 was arrested after U.S. authorities found approximately 78 pounds of marijuana in the rental truck he was driving.
According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), officers at the Buffalo port of entry discovered three cardboard boxes containing 60 vacuum-sealed packages of suspected marijuana during a secondary inspection.
The drugs have an estimated street value of about US$230,000.
CBP said the man, a 43-year-old U.S. citizen, claimed he had mistakenly crossed into Canada while following directions on his phone and was returning to the United States.
During initial questioning at the border, he reportedly told officers the truck was empty. A subsequent inspection revealed the boxes in the back of the vehicle.
The driver and the seized marijuana were turned over to the Buffalo Police Department, where he faces felony charges of criminal possession of cannabis.
“Our dedicated CBP officers continue to perform their jobs at the highest levels,” said Buffalo port director Gaetano Cordone in the release.
“Their training and experience help to keep our communities safe from these illegal narcotics.”
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About The Author
Brent Jones
Program director, lead editor, and host, Fort Erie Radio; Realtor, eXp Realty; husband and father of two; proud to call the Town of Fort Erie home.
Good coverage of all the border crossing criminal activity, Brent.
Thank you. It’s easy to miss the Central Avenue exit and accidentally follow the QEW to the border in Buffalo, but it’s very difficult to make a wrong turn from Buffalo into Canada. Not sure why it seems to happen so often.