Fort Erie man pleads guilty to smuggling meth and fentanyl across U.S. border

Eric Hagen, 57, faces up to 20 years in federal prison after drugs were found at the Peace Bridge crossing. He was previously convicted of child pornography.

Fort Erie man caught at Peace Bridge with meth and fentanyl, faces 20 years

A 57-year-old man from Fort Erie has pleaded guilty to smuggling methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States, according to Toronto Sun Crime. Eric Hagen now faces up to 20 years in a U.S. federal prison and a fine of US$1 million.

On August 1, 2025, Hagen was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Peace Bridge, which connects Fort Erie to Buffalo. Officers grew suspicious and referred him for a secondary inspection.

During that inspection, agents recovered multiple electronic devices — including cellular phones, hard drives, a laptop, and a baby monitor — along with two plastic containers holding methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officials did not disclose the quantity or street value of the drugs. No sentencing date has been set.

A criminal record spanning years

This is not Hagen's first run-in with law enforcement. In June 2024, he was convicted in St. Catharines of possessing child pornography, following charges laid in March of that year by the Niagara Regional Police's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit and Technological Crimes Unit.

Officers had raided a Fort Erie residence and seized a number of electronic devices for forensic examination. Hagen was not at the home at the time of the raid. Two months later, his name appeared on Niagara's Most Wanted List, with pending charges including two counts of possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography. A tip from the public led officers to his location, where he was detained. He was additionally charged with resisting arrest.

A second Fort Erie man, whom detectives believed had been helping Hagen while he was a fugitive, was charged with accessory after the fact for committing an indictable offence.

Hagen's record extends further back. In the spring of 2019, he was arrested for breaking into a cargo trailer in Fort Erie and stealing personal items valued at approximately $500. Police obtained CCTV footage from the area, identified a suspect and vehicle, and charged Hagen with break and enter and theft.

In 2017, he faced charges of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and failing to comply with recognizance, in connection with the theft of a Sea-Doo.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime