Man Caught with 132 Pounds of Cocaine in Burlington Sentenced

Photo: Justice.Gov

Seattle, WA – After more than six years on the run, a 37-year-old dual citizen of Canada and France was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Photo: Ice.gov

U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes, announced that MARTIN BRIAND was identified by border agents in U.S. and Canada in 2009 as a person extensively involved with smuggling cocaine into Canada.

 “In just six months in 2009, this defendant made 29 flights in chartered aircraft between Point Roberts, Washington and points south without ever legally entering the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.

On December 12, 2009, BRIAND and a co-defendant flew into the Skagit County Airport on a private plane and were observed struggling with heavy bags they loaded into a pick-up truck. The truck was stopped by law enforcement and a drug detection dog alerted to the presence of narcotics.

The Washington State Trooper seized the bags for later search and BRIAND and his associate were allowed to leave. The men abandoned the truck and BRIAND fled to Canada. Troopers obtained a search warrant for the bags and  found over 59 kilos of cocaine  or nearly 132 pounds of cocaine in the bags.

Briand was named in a 4 count indictment on August 11th, 2010 for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, Conspiracy to Export Cocaine and Aiding and Abetting the Exportation of Cocaine.  Despite contact from law enforcement he refused to return to the U.S. to face the charges.

Briand was  arrested in December 2015, when he arrived at the Vancouver British Columbia International Airport from France. Following his arrest in Canada,  the Canadian Courts found he should be detained pending extradition to the United States.

In March 2016, BRIAND agreed to be transferred to the U.S. to deal with the indictment.

         

Source: Justice.gov

About the Author

Chris Nelson
I'm a long time Skagit County Resident. I believe in doing the right thing and helping others when you can.

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