New York CBP Officers Seize Pound of Hashish

Champlain, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations announced the seizure of one pound of hashish and the arrest of a Canadian citizen in the smuggling attempt.

On Jan. 7, CBP officers encountered Jean-Francois Martel, a 27-year-old Canadian citizen from St. Jean Richelieu, Quebec, as he applied for admission into the United States at the Overtons port of entry. Mr. Martel advised the primary CBP officer that he was traveling to a local auto parts store in Champlain, N.Y. Additional questioning raised officer suspicion and Mr. Martel was referred for a secondary enforcement exam.

During the course of the secondary inspection, five vacuum-sealed bricks of a brown substance were found under the passenger seat of the vehicle. A field test revealed the presence of THC, and the substance was determined to be hashish. One pound of hashish with an estimated street value of $6,000 was seized by CBP.

Mr. Martel was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and turned over to the New York State Police for prosecution by the Clinton County District Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.