December 12, 2007    Lynden, Washington
U.S. Customs agents find 460 pounds of Canadian marijuana hidden in the roof of a tractor trailer

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers here seized 460 pounds of marijuana during a truck examination Wednesday, December 12th.

Officers working in the southbound truck lanes discovered the marijuana concealed in a false roof compartment in the "empty" refrigerated trailer of an 18-wheel truck. The truck and trailer was referred for a routine Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) x-ray type exam where anomalies were discovered in the trailer's roof compartment. A CBP Border Patrol K-9 was also utilized to detect the concealed marijuana.

Examination of the truck revealed 272 marijuana-filled packages secreted above the false trailer ceiling. The Canadian-registered truck and trailer, valued at $120,000 were also seized.

The driver, Marc Simon Bessette, 30, a Canadian citizen from Surrey, British Columbia, was arrested and faces federal prosecution. Bessette had his initial appearance in federal court in Seattle on Thursday, December 13th. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the case.

"The vigilance of our CBP officers has paid off with this significant seizure," said CBP area port director Peg Fearon. "We will continue to use the full array of tools at our disposal to maintain border security."

The marijuana has an estimated value of $ 1,380,000 USD.

Source: U.S.Customs