DETROIT — Two people face federal drug charges after authorities stopped a truck Monday going through the Blue Water Bridge entry point at Port Huron carrying more than 1,000 pounds of suspected cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials inspected the tractor trailer headed for Canada because an X-ray of the vehicle showed “anomalies” in the rear of the trailer, according to a charging affidavit signed by a special agent for the Department of Homeland Security.
The documents for the truck’s load claimed it carried 25 pallets of aluminum cans loaded in Pueblo, Colorado. It actually contained several boxes, suitcases and luggage bags full of bricks of white powder, which tested positive for cocaine, according to the affidavit, The truck contained only four pallets of cans, which the affidavit says is a “very small load of goods to transport economically via tractor trailer from Colorado to Canada.”
Investigators found 397 bricks of cocaine among 13 boxes, five suitcases and four bags, according to the affidavit.
Officials arrested the two drivers of the truck, Abhishek Jain and Satwant Singh Kaler, who were taken to the St. Clair County Jail. They face charges of possessing with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a substance containing cocaine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said they had an initial court appearance Wednesday and have detention hearings scheduled for Friday.
Officials have intercepted other illegal hauls around the international crossing.
In October, St. Clair County sheriff’s officials found more than 370 pounds of cocaine in a semi-truck during a traffic stop on Pine Grove Avenue.
More than two months earlier, federal officials seized 266 pounds of cocaine at the Blue Water Bridge.
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