‘Unprecedented’ Amount of Illegal Marijuana Seized by Border Agents

An “unprecedented” amount of marijuana was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Philadelphia.
The CBP agents uncovered a 170-pound drug haul of marijuana worth $800,000, while inspecting export parcels at an international shipping service facility. The 35 parcels were sent from various addresses in California and were intended for multiple locations in London, United Kingdom.
Seizing 35 export parcels of marijuana in one day is “unusual,” according to CBP officers in Philadelphia. Due to the potency of the drug, the drug haul could fetch two to three times more in London.
“Though medical and recreational use of marijuana is being decriminalized in some U.S. states, marijuana possession and bulk smuggling remain illegal under federal law, and so Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to seize it when we encounter it,” said Cleatus Hunt, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Philadelphia.
“This is an unprecedented number of export marijuana parcels that we’ve seen, but they are also parcels that London consumers won’t see.”
No information was released at this time about the subject, but investigations remain ongoing.
U.S. CBP officers typically find marijuana being exported in smaller parcels, as in this case. However, they sometimes encounter travelers with suitcases packed with the drug.
Two weeks ago, Philadelphia U.S. CBP officers found 114 pounds of marijuana hidden inside vacuum-sealed bags in four suitcases of two women trying to board a flight to London.
Fredo, a 2-year-old male German shepherd and trained CBP narcotics detector dog, alerted officers to the presence of the illegal substance within the sealed bags.
In June, U.S. CBP officers assigned to the World Trade Bridge in Texas seized marijuana worth over $5 million.
U.S. CBP agents seized an average of 2,339 pounds of dangerous drugs last year at and between the nation’s air, sea, and land ports of entry.
Law enforcement officials seized 175,000 pounds of marijuana in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. It is the most commonly seized drug by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, followed by meth, cocaine, and fentanyl.
Americans in four states had the chance to vote for legalizing either recreational or medical marijuana on Tuesday.
Recreational marijuana was on the ballot in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Florida, and medical marijuana was up for a vote in Nebraska.
Nebraska voted to pass marijuana legislation, while Florida rejected recreational marijuana on their ballot. Although 55.9 percent of Floridians voted in favor of the amendment, it did not pass, as the state has a threshold of 60 percent for referendums to pass.
While medical marijuana is legal in North Dakota, supporters of initiated Measure 5, which aimed to “legalize the recreational or personal use of marijuana,” were unsuccessful in getting the bill passed.
In South Dakota, legislation failed to pass on Initiated Measure 29, which would “legalize the recreational or personal use of marijuana.”