U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers announced the seizure of over 10,000 pounds of marijuana in Baltimore, hidden inside a shipping container that was destined for Liverpool, England, officials said.
On May 29, 2026, CBP officers discovered 238 boxes filled with vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana after CBP narcotics detector dog Letti, a 2-year-old female German shepherd, alerted them to the presence of narcotics.
Officials reported that the seized marijuana weighed a total of 4,815 kilograms, approximately 10,615 pounds, with a street value of $24 million in the United States. But they mentioned that the marijuana could have potentially sold for twice that amount in Europe.
“This is a recklessly brazen attempt to smuggle over five tons of marijuana through Baltimore to Europe, and an incredible effort by exceptionally professional Customs and Border Protection officers to intercept it,” said Adam Rottman, CBP’s Area Port Director in Baltimore. “Transnational criminal organizations remain teased by high marijuana profits that they expect to earn in Europe. CBP officers remain focused on ensuring that they never realize those illicit profits.”
CBP officers noticed a trend in transnational criminal organizations attempting to smuggle marijuana to Europe, primarily through kilo-sized parcels via express air delivery and in passenger baggage.
The high-quality cannabis can generate profits two to three times higher than sales in the U.S., officials reported.
