This story is terrifying, especially since it could happen to anyone. A man spent nearly week in a Canadian jail after his shampoo tested positive for cocaine while going through immigration. However, as it turns out, the test was inaccurate…
In this post:
Customs agents accuse man of trafficking cocaine
This incident dates back to April 2023, when 22-year-old Yeremy Cuevas Tolentino from Boston was vacationing in Brazil for a week. The man works for Cape Air (a US regional carrier), so has travel benefits he can use on a variety of airlines. He ended up deciding to fly from Sao Paulo (GRU) to Boston (BOS) via Toronto (YYZ), and it’s in Canada where the trouble started.
Here’s what reportedly happened:
- When he arrived in Toronto, he had to pick up his bags, and then went through security, before entering the US immigration facility (Toronto has a US Preclearance facility, meaning that you clear US immigration prior to boarding your US-bound flight)
- Cuevas Tolentino was pulled aside by US immigration agents, and he believed it was related to how many return tickets he had booked to the United States; he had made several changes last minute, and since he’s an airline employee, you can easily list yourself for several flights
- US immigration agents started searching through his phone and all of his belongings
- At this point, he was informed that he had narcotics in his bag, and he was handed over to Canadian immigration, since he hadn’t yet entered the US
- The Canadian immigration agents went through the same process the US officials did, and informed him that his shampoo bottles had tested positive for cocaine
- The officials had used a Narcotics Identification Kit (NIK) — according to the report at the time, “CBSA officer stated that they swabbed the shampoo bottles, the result initially faded, so CBSA swabbed the bottles again, this time they stayed blue, which indicated a positive test for cocaine”
- At this point, Cuevas Tolentino was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance, and was taken to the airport holding cell
- Cuevas Tolentino’s family in the United States was contacted by officials — “my uncle was the one to answer the phone, he told me that they just said, ‘hey, your (nephew) is detained, he has five kilograms of cocaine in his bag, and he’s going to jail'”
Man released after five nights in jail, all charges dropped
Cuevas Tolentino was put in jail from April 9 through April 14, 2023, without being given any further information:
- He had to share his cell with two other inmates, and they were forced to take turns sharing the bunks, because there wasn’t space for each of them to have their own bed
- During his time in jail, someone attempted suicide, someone was stabbed, a gang fight broke out, and people cried and screamed all hours of the day and night
- He wasn’t given much more information, but was reportedly told that he’d probably be in jail for 15 to 20 years
On April 11, Cuevas Tolentino’s shampoo bottles were sent to Health Canada for drug testing, the results ended up coming back on April 13, at which point it was determined that “there were no substances within the (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)” in the shampoo.
On April 14 at 1PM, police arrived at the jail to inform him that the charges would be dropped, and that he’d be released that evening. Finally on April 15, Cuevas Tolentino was able to fly home.
Below you can see an interview with Cuevas Tolentino, who is now seeking justice for what happened. What I’m curious about is what accountability looks like here. Was anyone actually being negligent, or are the tests just not accurate sometimes? It’s understandable that someone would be kept in custody after a positive test, awaiting the outcome of a more accurate test.
Bottom line
A man spent five nights in a Canadian jail after his shampoo bottles tested positive for cocaine at immigration. While that’s what a rapid test determined, the shampoo bottles were then sent to Health Canada for a more accurate test, where no drugs were detected. What a horrible situation. Could you imagine spending five nights in jail over an inaccurate drug test?
What do you make of this story?
These tests (if we can really call them that) are absolute garbage. So far these test kits have tested positive for drugs on baking soda, cotton candy, talcum powder, donut frosting, and bird poop, and now shampoo. But that's why cops continue to use them. They give them the results that they want, probable to make an arrest.
Same as the Covid tests then
The most ironic part, these kits are also used by US law enforcement agencies.
Give your northern neighbors a break, America jailed people for false positive tests too. Some cases take months before the charges are dropped.
Don't lash out on Canada alone.
What sort of justice? Are you kidding me? If it was you or one of your boyfriends you'd be screaming and bitching like there was no tomorrow. Those Canadian bastards need to be held to account. In this day and age, with the technology available, to hold a foreigner in a jail cell for 5 days is outrageous. It should take 5 hours on such a serious accusation. Scandalous! and I hope those mongrel Canadian...
What sort of justice? Are you kidding me? If it was you or one of your boyfriends you'd be screaming and bitching like there was no tomorrow. Those Canadian bastards need to be held to account. In this day and age, with the technology available, to hold a foreigner in a jail cell for 5 days is outrageous. It should take 5 hours on such a serious accusation. Scandalous! and I hope those mongrel Canadian border patrol people are arrested and jailed, where they belong. Canada get sillier by the day under Trudeau. I hope this victim sues their sorry Canadian puissant asses and wins millions of dollars and then goes after you for having the audacity to say what you did. You need to start traveling again sweetheart instead of being the lounge chair operator you have become. We can tell. The standards have dropped dramatically for OMAAT
Tell me you watch too much Fox News without telling me
Sounds like a common problem with the drug testing kits. A similar situation was shown on the TV show Border Security: Australia's Front Line Season 2 Episode 17. A couple had shampoo bottles test positive with the NIK test and a sniffer dog. They were at least released into the country while it was sent for drug testing which revealed no narcotics.
Oh boy. So much to break down here. First, he cleared Canadian Customs with no action. He rolled on through to preclearance. But he *was* in Canada despite having the US as his final destination. The US folks made a determination but couldn't do anything other than deny entry...because he was in CANADA. Then they test his property and it tests positive. Uh oh. So it's a Sunday and he's locked up. This is WHAT...
Oh boy. So much to break down here. First, he cleared Canadian Customs with no action. He rolled on through to preclearance. But he *was* in Canada despite having the US as his final destination. The US folks made a determination but couldn't do anything other than deny entry...because he was in CANADA. Then they test his property and it tests positive. Uh oh. So it's a Sunday and he's locked up. This is WHAT HAPPENS. He's charged and held in custody at the border. They send the test for a deeper test, likely leaving for testing on Monday, arriving Tuesday. They run the test say, Wednesday. Get the results Thursday and he's released on Friday. That, ladies and gentlemen, is actually how it's supposed to work.
How it's "supposed to work" is that the authorities prioritize the liberty of innocent people. Sadly, people running the Security Theatre (at our expense) believe that it's more important to catch every drug mule, than it is to ensure no innocent is ever jailed. This should not happen in Canada. I hope the victim hires a vicious cutthroat Canadian litigator and they pull a Maher Arar on these Security Theatre bozos. Locking up someone who...
How it's "supposed to work" is that the authorities prioritize the liberty of innocent people. Sadly, people running the Security Theatre (at our expense) believe that it's more important to catch every drug mule, than it is to ensure no innocent is ever jailed. This should not happen in Canada. I hope the victim hires a vicious cutthroat Canadian litigator and they pull a Maher Arar on these Security Theatre bozos. Locking up someone who hasn't done anything wrong, where the "probable cause" comes from The Machine That Goes Ping should cost the authorities an apocalyptic amount of money. If you can't tell between glycerin soap and explosives, you're in the wrong line of work. If you can't tell between shampoo and coke, you're in the wrong line of work. If you think this guy's 5-day imprisonment is acceptable "collateral damage" you're in the wrong line of work. In all three scenarios, the correct course is to let the guy go and buy a better machine.
What is insane is the hypocrisy present in Canadian drug enforement.
Hard drugs are being freely distributed on the streets of Vancouver with no repercussions for possession even in quantities fit for distribution.
Cocaine is not a drug that is prosecuted on Canadian streets.
Yet they arrest a traveller passing through Pearson?
Shame on the Trudeau government
Nothing to do with "Trudeau" and you know it, right-wing troll.
I hope he sues the crap out of these idiots...misleading information to him and family members, what a bunch of crooks.
What a shame Canada has limits on irrational tort judgements and does not allow for pain and suffering claims
REPEAL ALL DRUG LAWS WORLDWIDE. it’s insane how much money and time we spend as a society on a war on substances that are inert unless you take them. in which case you need medical treatment, not criminal punishment.
I was behind a woman at the GJT airport when she went through security, had one piece of her luggage swabbed and tested positive. They then tested the rest of her luggage everything they swabbed came back positive for explosive residue. Fortunately it was a small airport and the TSA agents spent a few minutes asking the woman questions only to find out that she used a glycerin based lotion on her hands prior to...
I was behind a woman at the GJT airport when she went through security, had one piece of her luggage swabbed and tested positive. They then tested the rest of her luggage everything they swabbed came back positive for explosive residue. Fortunately it was a small airport and the TSA agents spent a few minutes asking the woman questions only to find out that she used a glycerin based lotion on her hands prior to packing her bags. Every zipper, handle, and half the contents were covered in the stuff. Ultimately they had to unpack everything and go pull her checked items to do the same; delaying all of us on her flight, but the matter was resolved without her being thrown into jail for a week.
I mean, isn't "Justice" being found innocent and released after following through eith protocol? Unfortunately, younger people AND especially airline employees traffic drugs often. There were numerous other things such as the changed tickets that sent off additional red flags. I think he means "Money paid to be, lots of it" when he asks for "Justice". This happens fairly often, and he is not special.
He is right to seek justice in the form of money, as that is the only real form of justice people can obtain in a capitalist system.
He won’t get that in Canada and good luck finding a US court willing to take on this case and then try to enforce any judgement
You must be kidding. No, this is not something that's acceptable to randomly happen to innocent people who have a bad luck. In any sane country, procedures would be already under a review following a case like this.
Why is NOBODY asking, how he would carry 5kg of "Shampoo" which the US & CA Immigration and Customs has detected as Cocaine?
Why would you bring 5kg of Shampoo on a 1 week trip?
Some things just DON'T make sense here if thinking straight!
This sounds like to me a BIG Soc.Media "story"!?
How could Cocaine be detected in Shampoo and all of it with 5kg, that must be Shampoo...
Why is NOBODY asking, how he would carry 5kg of "Shampoo" which the US & CA Immigration and Customs has detected as Cocaine?
Why would you bring 5kg of Shampoo on a 1 week trip?
Some things just DON'T make sense here if thinking straight!
This sounds like to me a BIG Soc.Media "story"!?
How could Cocaine be detected in Shampoo and all of it with 5kg, that must be Shampoo bottle the size of a Bodybuilder Protein Shake container? Of course, you never know . . . but add 1&1 and not much of this sounds like the whole truth, to me.
Who said he had 5 kg of shampoo? The police lie all the time and I wouldn't be surprised if the public information person they had call had no idea what actually happened here.
It's pretty obvious that the "5kg" is hyperbole, as his response to that was literally: "this is not the right thing". Also, the police lying about something? Surely, someone call 911?
Two comments on this though:
1) flight crew often bring full-size bottles of hair and other products on their travels. It's one common reason why LHR is a nearly universally hated layover, because the liquids are draconian.
2) Brazil is a lot...
It's pretty obvious that the "5kg" is hyperbole, as his response to that was literally: "this is not the right thing". Also, the police lying about something? Surely, someone call 911?
Two comments on this though:
1) flight crew often bring full-size bottles of hair and other products on their travels. It's one common reason why LHR is a nearly universally hated layover, because the liquids are draconian.
2) Brazil is a lot cheaper for household goods. Many people bring back quotidian household goods from Europe and Asia because it's a lot cheaper, especially if they have the baggage allowance. He's 22, inflation is rampant, and he can fly for a trivial cost. Can't tell you how many pilots/flight crew stock up on Savon de Marseille, butter, other basic toiletries every time they have a European layover.
It's not unusual, and furthermore also none of your business.
What you didn't take from this story, though, is that this screening test that was done has a notoriously high false positive rate (as mentioned several times in the article), as is the nature of super cheap screening tests. Cross reactivity with the chemicals is common. That's why it was reflexed to gas chromatography / mass spectrometry at a proper lab, and found to be negative (the gold standard). Doubt all you want, but this confirmatory test is so hardcore it 100% exonerates this guy.
I may be ignorant but how would trafficking cocaine in shampoo work? If it was mixed with the shampoo you couldn't unmix it and then sell it right? You can't get high off of cocaine infused shampoo can you?
Basic chemistry, pretty easy to do. Just let the water evaporate (you can speed it up with heat etc) but you will be left with dried powder.
Disgusting that this happens. Those field kits are notoriously wrong. As you noted, this can happen to any of us and here is just one example where it has. If you google the topic you will find that hundreds of people, especially in the southern US states, have been arrested due to false results with some spending years in jail as a result.
I’ve watched too many “border patrol” shows on YouTube, most of which are at least a decade old. False positives on shampoo seems relatively common. You’d think they’d have figured it out.
Exactly what I was thinking! I'm pretty sure I saw a border patrol show on YouTube that was this same airport and it was large bottles of shampoo. The couple was delayed but not put in jail.
Lesson: don't travel with large bottles of shampoo if you can avoid it.
I'd be interested to know what the actual procedures are, but running a test twice because you don't like the first set of results is a pretty classic scientific no-no in general. There might be some negligence there…
Those expensive screening machines are basically useless. They pick up false positives all the time. A few years ago I was taken in a back room at MIA and nearly stripped searched by the TSA because the alarm went off for explosives. When I questioned the TSA they told me the machines really can't pick traces for actual substances, just possible. I was told certain types of body lotion set off the machines.
same question - who the hell travels with 5 KILOGRAMS of shampoo????????
Which is why I would never transit through Canada.
Maybe he stole lots of hotel shampoo from the maid's cart???
Canada is a partial dictatorship and can be very harsh.
Why travel with so much shampoo? Did he have a Canadian lawyer?
Partial Dictatorship? Twat! Probably an American who would be willing for the GOPs goal of their own dictatorship
Anyway, these things are rubbish. Sparklers from weeks ago set of bomb detections, drugs are just plain false for no reason.
This has little to do with the Canadians, and everything to do with the jackbooted thugs that man US preclearance. People think it is more convenient, but it is actually much worse, as they are never held accountable for their treatment of people - even American citizens.
Canada's CBSA (customs) is far harsher and bullying than America's CBP based on my experience.
Under Trudeau, Canada has become a full dictatorship.
Sure. There'd be far less drug enforcement and militarized police presence under a right-wing government. Is that your takeaway?