WASHINGTON, DC- DECEMBER 19 Metropolitan Police Departments narcotics unit and federal authorities seized approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine, 9.6. kilograms of cocaine, 1.25 gallons of PCP. 23.5 pounds of marijuana, heroin and MDMA/ecstasy. The drugs were purchased and seized by the detectives in the investigation and were on display for a press conference at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on December 19, 2011. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy L.Lanier and members from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced today the arrests of 70 suspects for the possession and distribution of firearms and narcotics with a street value of more than $7.1 million. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Buffalo, New York – A California man was arrested Sunday after inadvertently steering his rental truck toward the Canadian border and allegedly revealing nearly 80 pounds of marijuana to Customs and Border Protection agents at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, New York.
According to CBP, 43-year-old Ronald Nunn told officers he had made a wrong turn while following GPS directions that mistakenly guided him onto the bridge leading to Canada. Nunn reportedly informed agents that his truck was empty, but a secondary inspection revealed otherwise.
Agents discovered 60 vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana concealed in three cardboard boxes in the back of the vehicle. The packages weighed a total of 78 pounds and carried an estimated street value of $230,000, CBP officials said.
While cases of accidental border crossings are not unheard of, few result in the seizure of a six-figure quantity of controlled substances. Nunn was immediately taken into custody and processed by CBP before being turned over to the Buffalo Police Department. Legal experts expect Nunn to face felony charges for criminal possession of cannabis.
“Our dedicated CBP officers continue to perform their jobs at the highest levels,” said Gaetano Cordone, Area Port Director for CBP, in a statement. “Their training and experience help to keep our communities safe from these illegal narcotics.”
The arrest adds to a growing list of cannabis-related interdictions at U.S. ports of entry, even as the legal status of marijuana continues to evolve across the country. While California allows the legal purchase and possession of marijuana for adult use, cannabis remains a Schedule I substance under federal law. Transporting it across state lines—or international borders—carries profound criminal implications.
As of Monday, authorities had not released further details about Nunn’s travel plans or whether the stop was indeed the result of an errant GPS route. For now, the incident serves as a reminder: a wrong turn near an international border can quickly turn into a federal case, especially when drugs are involved.
