According to authorities, a smuggling operation utilized drones to transport drugs across the Niagara River from Canada into Western New York. The operation involved the use of a recently purchased $630,000 house along the river as a drop-off point. A criminal complaint, unsealed this week, reveals that one individual has already pleaded guilty, while two others are facing charges following an investigation that commenced in September 2022.
U.S. Border Patrol agents tracked a drone as it embarked on an overnight journey from an affluent neighborhood on the U.S. side of the border to an area near an Ontario winery before returning to the house in Youngstown, New York. During the return trip, a package was observed hanging from the drone's chassis, as stated in a court filing. Law enforcement officers were strategically positioned and the drone eventually landed in the backyard near the suspects.
Upon inspection, the package was found to contain approximately 6 1/2 pounds (3 kg) of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, according to investigators. A search of the house yielded numerous drones and controllers, but minimal furniture, with only mattresses on the floor, as detailed in the complaint.
Data retrieved from the drones indicated that there had been five previous cross-border flights prior to the September 2022 incident. The first flight occurred in May 2022, shortly after the house was purchased under the name of one of the suspects' relatives. To give an idea of flight length, the Niagara River is about 1,800 feet (550 meters) wide in Youngstown.
The complaint further reveals that two of the suspects, hailing from New York City and California, are believed to have made brief trips to Niagara Falls and Buffalo for the purpose of conducting the drone flights.
The suspect from New York City appeared in U.S. District Court in Buffalo on Wednesday, facing charges of drug trafficking and conspiracy. He was subsequently released on bond.
Another suspect had previously pleaded guilty in February.