U.S. CUSTOMS TO STOP CONFISCATING CANADIAN DRUGS

The Department of Homeland Security as agreed to end U.S. Customs and Border Protection's role in confiscating prescription drugs mailed to American consumers from Canadian pharmacies, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) has announced.

"For nearly a year, the White House has been punishing seniors for filling their prescriptions at lower Canadian prices," Nelson said. Since last November, some 40,000 Americans have had their prescriptions seized by Customs' agents, according to a release on the senator's website.

Most drug importation is illegal under current U.S. law, but the government had turned a blind eye to personal orders coming in the mail across the Canadian border. Last November, however, the administration abruptly changed its policy, and Customs agents began systematically seizing small packages from Canadian drugstores, according to the release.

Earlier this week Nelson openly challenged the government's tactics as a White House ploy to drive seniors into its new Medicare prescription drug plan. Nelson said he wants a congressional probe to seek answers on why the administration started the medication seizures.