At the Port of Louisville, a seemingly routine shipment of networking equipment devolved into a high-stakes drug bust.
In late January, a spool of Ethernet cable was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers after a trained CBP dog detected the shipment while sweeping the inspection area. The cargo appeared to be just “ETHERNET CABLE,” but upon closer inspection, it was much more hazardous.
A single spool of Ethernet cable was included in the shipment, but upon closer examination by CBP officers, three packages of a white, crystal-like material hidden inside the wire were discovered.
The substance was identified as ketamine through field testing. Officers confiscated almost seven pounds of the drug in total, which is estimated to be worth $50,000 on the black market. Belgium was the destination of the shipment.
Ketamine is categorized as a controlled substance under Schedule III. It is frequently abused due to its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects, despite having valid medical uses in both human and veterinary medicine, such as sedation, pain relief and some mental health treatments.
Louisville Port Director Phil Onken praised the work of CBP officers and their canine partners, emphasizing their role in protecting the community.
“The work of the brave men and women at the Port of Louisville and the hard work and dedication of our canine teams has prevented yet another shipment of dangerous drugs from reaching our communities,” Onken said.
With over 1,500 teams across the nation, the CBP Canine Program is the biggest and most varied law enforcement dog program in the nation. In addition to assisting with search and rescue and special response operations, these highly skilled dogs can identify concealed drugs, weapons, money, and even human remains.
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2026.