10/30/2009

Officers Intercept Ecstasy at Lewiston, N.Y. Border Crossing

Lewiston, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced the seizure of more than 10,000 tablets of the drug ecstasy at the Lewiston, N.Y. bridge border crossing. The seizure resulted in the federal arrest Wednesday of Claudette Benjamin, a 47-year-old Canadian citizen of Brampton, Ontario.

CBP officers encountered Benjamin as she applied for admission into the United States at the Lewiston Bridge. She advised CBP officers that she was destined to visit friends in Connecticut. Additional questioning of the individual aroused the suspicion of CBP officers and the vehicle was referred for a further examination.


During the secondary inspection, CBP officers noticed that Benjamin’s coat was unusually bulky. A search of her jacket revealed the illegal narcotic hand-sewn into the inner lining of her jacket. A total of 11 vacuum sealed bags of ecstasy were discovered.


“This is a significant seizure of a very dangerous drug that was destined for the streets of our country”, said James T. Engleman, director of field operations for the Buffalo region.


The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of N.Y. accepted the case for federal prosecution. Benjamin was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pending arraignment.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/10292009_2.xml