CBP officers at the Lewiston Bridge arrest Canadian citizens for drug possession

Six vacuum-sealed bags were discovered inside a vehicle's door panel

LEWISTON, N.Y. - Two Canadian citizens were arrested on Saturday after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Buffalo Port of Entry's Lewiston Bridge border crossing seized multiple bags of marijuana hidden throughout their vehicle.

CBP officers arrested Canadian citizens Andrea Seivewright, 43, the driver of a Mercedes Benz SUV, and Daniel Hughes, 35, and turned them over to Lewiston Police Department who charged them with felony second-degree possession of marijuana.

On March 21, CBP officers at the Lewiston Bridge crossing encountered a Mercedes Benz SUV with Ontario plates being driven by Seivewright after a CBP narcotics detector dog alerted to her vehicle. CBP officers then escorted the vehicle and occupants to a secondary inspection area for further examination.

CBP officers scanned the vehicle and detected anomalies in both the rear quarter panel and the trunk door. Officers examined the anomalies and discovered six vacuum sealed bags of a green leafy substance. That substance tested positive for the properties of marijuana.

The marijuana weighed approximately six pounds and had an estimated street value of more than $16 thousand dollars.

"Our highly trained K-9 team played a critical role in the successful interdiction of narcotics concealed within a vehicle. The detection abilities of our canine and diligence of our officers led to the discovery and seizure of illegal substances, and the transfer of two suspects to local authorities for criminal prosecution," said Acting Port Director Sharon Swiatek.

Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Every day, CBP officers and agents seized an average of about 1,600 pounds of dangerous drugs last year at and between our nation's air, sea, and land ports of entry. See CBP's enforcement stats to see what other dangerous drugs CBP is encountering at our nation's borders.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation's Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation's safety and economic vitality.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 67,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

• Topics
• Smuggling