Truck driver faces up to life in prison after he was caught hauling hundreds of pounds of cocaine, New York officials say

A truck driver was arrested this week after an outbound inspection at a New York border crossing revealed that he was hauling approximately 240 pounds of cocaine, authorities say.

Vishavpal Singh, 31, has been charged with possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

Singh, who is “a citizen of India residing in Canada,” was arrested on August 13, 2025, at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry in Buffalo, New York.

Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine describes the circumstances leading to Singh’s arrest:

“…Singh was associated with a previous seizure of approximately 228 kilograms of cocaine in July 2025, at the Detroit Ambassador Bridge Port of Entry. An individual, identified as Pawanjit Gill, was arrested after bulk quantities of cocaine were found during an inspection of his outbound traveling commercial vehicle. Subsequent investigation determined that earlier that day, Gill met with Singh at a nearby travel center. HSI Port Huron alerted HSI Buffalo Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) that Singh was traveling within the United States. On the afternoon of August 13, 2025, Customs and Border Protection and HSI Buffalo BEST conducted an outbound inspection on Singh, who was operating a commercial tractor, at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. During the inspection, CBP officers discovered boxes containing approximately 109 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Singh was taken into custody.“

If convicted, Singh faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.

“This seizure represents one of the largest ever at international border crossings in the Western District of New York,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “The investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners is a very important step in preventing this vast amount of illegal narcotics from ending up on the streets of our community, and those attempting to smuggle this cocaine into our neighborhoods will be held accountable.”