Canadian border agents seize $23M in suspected cocaine at Blue Water Bridge

Canadian border officials have seized more than $23 million worth of suspected cocaine from a truck entering the country from the U.S. near Sarnia, Ont. 

On June 12, border officers at the Blue Water Bridge pulled a commercial truck in for secondary inspection, the Canada Border Services Agency said in a press release Tuesday. The officers, with the help of a drug-sniffing dog, found six boxes containing 161 bricks of the suspected narcotic in the truck's trailer. 

"The total weight of the suspected narcotics was 187 kilograms, with an estimated street value of $23.3 million," the CBSA said, calling it a "significant seizure." 

The border agency said it arrested a 27-year-old Brampton, Ont., man and transferred him and the drugs to the RCMP, which charged him with importation of cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. 

"The investigation is ongoing," the release said. "To date this year, border services officers have seized a total of 978 kilograms of cocaine at Southern Ontario ports of entry."

An Nguyen, the CBSA's direction of operations in the region, said in a statement that this bust marked "the fourth time a significant amount of cocaine coming from the United States was seized at the Blue Water Bridge this year, demonstrating the excellent work being done by our border services officers and their effectiveness in safeguarding our borders."

In its release, the CBSA highlighted the federal government's pledge late last year under former prime minister Justin Trudeau to invest $1.3 billion in border security. The announcement came amid growing threats from the incoming Trump administration to slap Canada with punishing tariffs if it didn't strengthen security at the northern border. 

The U.S. has since hit a broad range of Canadian goods, including those from the auto sector, with double-digit levies. Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has more recently unveiled new border legislation giving the CBSA and other agencies fresh powers, including controversial immigration measures.