A Canadian man was busted trying to bring 850 pounds of cocaine into Western New York. He is facing a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that the 37-year-old man was arrested on Friday August 11, 2023.

Simon Williamson, Operations Manager, Drug Investi
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Ahmed El Kady of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was charged with possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine.


 

850 Pounds could easily be worth multi-millions. A year ago CBP officers in Cincinnati, Ohio seized 14 Pounds of Cocaine Worth over $700K ($50,000 per pound). Using those figures, that would make this seizure worth approximately $42 million.


 

Photo by Celyn Kang on Unsplash
Photo by Celyn Kang on Unsplash
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According to the criminal complaint, on August 7, El Kady entered the United States via the Ambassador Bridge Port of Entry in Detroit, Michigan. He was driving a commercial truck with no commercial trailer attached. When he crossed the border he told the Customs and Border Protection officer that he was picking up a trailer in Detroit. He was then placed under surveillance without his knowledge. Investigators witnessed his travel to the TA Travel Center in Dexter, Michigan. He spent two days at that location, allegedly making an exchange with drivers of two other commercial trucks. Following that interaction investigators surveilled him traveling into Ohio before returning to Dexter. In Dexter, he made another exchange with another (different) driver of a third commercial truck. From Dexter, he drove tp Buffalo on the evening of August 9. He spent the night at local truck stop.

U.S. Border Patrol Monitors Canadian-American Border By Land, Air And River Patrols
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El Kady’s wife Maja Tambur joined him at the truck stop on August 10. They both got into the vehicle she was driving and traveled to Niagara Falls. They made frequent stops and allegedly were trying to use evasive maneuvers. After trying to lose the investigators they returned to the truck stop to the vehicle El Kady was driving. That is when agents executed a federal search warrant. They seized approximately 386 kilograms of cocaine, which is around 850 pounds. El Kady was taken into custody. His next hearing will be held on Monday, August 14, at 11 am.

Multiple law enforcement agencies - Special Agent-in Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Customs and Border Protection, CBP Air and Marine Unit, U.S. Border Patrol, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, the Buffalo Police Department, the North Tonawanda Police Department, the Cheektowaga Police Department, the Ontario Provincial Police, Peel Police, and Toronto Police Services - were involved in or assisted with the investigation.

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