Posted on 10/17/2011 9:44:16 PM PDT by buccaneer81
A 22-year-old Canadian with a homemade smoke bomb in his car closed the Canada- U.S. border for two hours Sunday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday in a release.
An Ontario man was stopped when he tried to cross the Canada-U.S. border with a smoke bomb in his car.An Ontario man was stopped when he tried to cross the Canada-U.S. border with a smoke bomb in his car. (CBC)Trevor Hickerson, 22, of Trenton, Ont., was returning home from the Bay of Fundy area, through Maine when he was stopped by the border agency.
He was charged with the transportation of fireworks by the Maine State Fire Marshal's Office. He will appear in court in December on that charge, which carries a possible fine of $1,000 and six months in jail.
Hickerson told investigators he made the smoke bomb in case he became lost in the woods so he could signal rescuers.
The incident began at about 3:30 p.m. AT, when Hickerson arrived at the Woodstock, N.B. and Houlton, Me., port of entry for arrival into the United States.
During an inspection, a customs and border protection officer discovered a suspicious device in the trunk of his vehicle that resembled a homemade bomb.
Hickerson was then secured and detained, and all local, state, federal and international partners were notified of the situation, the agency said.
Immediate action was taken to isolate the suspicious device and establish a perimeter for the safety of individuals in the area, the border patrol said in a release.
At approximately 5 p.m., the Maine State Police bomb technician arrived at the Houlton port to assess the suspicious device. Using a water cannon, the device was rendered safe about 45 minutes later, and the border was reopened at 5:49 p.m.
Hickerson's vehicle was also searched for explosives, but none were found, the agency said.
But agents did find one gram of marijuana in his vehicle. Hickerson was fined $500 for possession of the drug.
Hickerson was refused entry to the U.S. and returned to Canada.
"Our primary focus was the safety of our employees, the public and securing our border," said port director Chris Sullivan.
"Due to the rapid response of our officers and our law enforcement partners, we were able to accomplish all three and we were able to resume normal operations as quickly as possible."
Guess he never heard of a signal mirror.
Or starting his own fire to produce smoke.
He's full of crap. I know that area well. The Bay of Fundy area is seashore, not forests, and to get lost in a forest in New Brunswick, you're going to be way off the beaten path. This is just an idiotic punk who had fireworks in his car.
And people wonder why many conservatives are opposed to marijuana.
It is interesting how where there’s pot, there’s more often than not something else criminal accompanying it. You see it everyday.
Subject to a “fine of $1,000 and six months in jail.”
Sounds suitable to me, since he apparently had no WMD on board.
At first I thought the “smoke bomb” was dentonated and the reason to close the station. This was an over reaction and probably that case will (should) wind up being dismissed.
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