U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently discovered more than $2.5 million worth of marijuana hidden in trash bags on a garbage truck. The officers stopped the truck in Detroit, Mich., on June 19, and found the marijuana hidden among coffee grounds and peat moss. It’s a disturbing story that reminds us of the dangers of marijuana.

Although CBP marijuana seizures have decreased in recent years, the number of kilograms seized has remained high. In 2017, 1.3 million kilograms of marijuana was seized at US ports of entry. Today, the DEA is finding smaller quantities of marijuana smuggled into the U.S. through Canada and the Caribbean. CBP officers are determined to find every gram and seizure of marijuana.

The drugs used to produce marijuana are still being grown illegally. The U.S. Bureau of Narcotics says it can’t keep up with illicit grows and are now requesting $4 million in federal funding to create a unit focused on the marijuana industry. Two Colorado residents were arrested in June for operating a 10,000-plant grow, as part of a larger money laundering operation. The officers also found more than 100 pounds of marijuana that had been processed.

In another seizure near Toronto, Canada, Canadian Border Services Agency officers seized 3,000 pounds of marijuana that was being smuggled to the United States. The arrests should be a warning to smugglers who index seek to smuggle illegal drugs across the border. The two busts are worth over $2.5 million. The arrest of these drugs is a significant blow to the drug industry, especially for those trying to import cannabis.

The DEA marijuana seizures followed a pattern. States with large marijuana markets, land border crossings, and commercial parcel services tended to be the highest in terms of seizures. The highest marijuana seizure rates occurred in Colorado, Arizona, and Texas. The illegal drug is often concealed in envelopes, small containers, and flattened parcels. Despite the dangers, the DEA continues to crack down on this activity and keep marijuana trafficking at a low level.

The investigation into the incident began when federal agents got a tip from Amtrak about the drug shipment. After interacting with Mathis, the agents asked him if he had any marijuana in his backpack. He denied it and returned to the train. As police dogs searched the bags, the agents approached him and he opened fire. The resulting gunfire was the first fatality in this case.

These operations typically involve other criminal activities, including financial fraud, international money laundering, polydrug production, and methamphetamine distribution. Many marijuana seizures involve other illicit drugs as well. The DEA offices in southern California have discovered THC extraction labs and marijuana production facilities alongside other illicit drugs. During the course of the investigations, over $2.5 million dollars in marijuana was seized.

Since April 2001, the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (CBP) has seized more than $2.5 million worth of marijuana. In one operation alone, the BESTs seized more than twelve thousand growing outdoors cannabis pounds of marijuana, 227 kilograms of cocaine, and $22.7 million in currency. This is a huge success for the DEA and the FBI, and they have made a major impact on the drug world.

ICE and Border Patrol officials also report that more than $3 million worth of marijuana was seized at the border crossing between the U.S. and Mexico. The majority of the drugs seized were marijuana, with fentanyl, a powerful opioid linked to a spike in overdose deaths in North America. While there was some confusion surrounding the exact nature of the drug, the DEA and SAC Atlanta have released a press release that details the operation.