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CBP seizes cocaine hidden in watermelons, peppers headed to Canada

Canadian trucker faces prosecution

Cocaine seized by U.S. border officers during an inspection of a tractor-trailer in Montana. (Photo: CBP)

A truck driver hauling watermelons and peppers from the U.S. to Canada could face prosecution after border officers discovered nearly 70 pounds of cocaine hidden in her load of produce, authorities said. 

The driver, a Canadian citizen, was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound operations at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry in Montana, across the border from Coutts, Alberta. 

Officers found the cocaine — totaling 69.5 pounds — inside the trailer, concealed in the commercial shipment of watermelons and peppers, CBP said in a statement

CBP officers turned over the case to the U.S. attorney’s office. The driver’s name wasn’t released. 


Another Canadian truck driver was arrested at the same port of entry in January after CBP officers found 240 pounds of cocaine during an inspection. 

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Nate Tabak

Nate Tabak is a Toronto-based journalist and producer who covers cybersecurity and cross-border trucking and logistics for FreightWaves. He spent seven years reporting stories in the Balkans and Eastern Europe as a reporter, producer and editor based in Kosovo. He previously worked at newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the San Jose Mercury News. He graduated from UC Berkeley, where he studied the history of American policing. Contact Nate at ntabak@freightwaves.com.