Mexican Smuggler Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison After Drug Bust at BC Airport

Cocaine and methamphetamine, hidden in a suitcase, seized at Abbotsford International Airport in B.C. on March 29, 2023. CBSA handout

A Mexican national has been sentenced to six years in prison after being caught trying to smuggle drugs in a hidden suitcase compartment at the Abbotsford International Airport in British Columbia.

Martha Alvarado-Lopez was sentenced Nov. 27, 2023, after being charged with importation and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at the airport seized two kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of cocaine from a Mexican traveller March 29, 2023, after noticing “anomalies” in her luggage, according to a statement from the agency. She was seeking entry to Canada from Puerto Vallarta.

The traveller was arrested and taken into custody by the RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit.

“This is an excellent example of the CBSA, and the BC RCMP Federal Policing program’s cohesive and sustained efforts in jointly protecting Canada’s border, through detection, deterrence, and successful prosecution of criminal networks,” RCMP Acting Superintendent Jillian Wellard said in a statement.

Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2023, the region reported 6,389 illegal narcotic seizures. The agency’s 2023 year in review statistics revealed CBSA officers made 8,212 illegal drug seizures last year, which included 1,475 kilograms of cocaine, 88 kilograms of heroin, 0.56 kilograms of fentanyl, and 2,701 kilograms of other opioids such as methadone and morphine. There were also 46,451 kilograms of other unnamed drugs, narcotics, and chemicals seized.

“Border services officers are highly trained in detecting concealed contraband and are committed to protecting the integrity of Canada’s borders,” said CBSA Pacific Region director general Nina Patel.

The latest seizure publicly reported by CBSA dates back to Dec. 4, when CBSA officers at the Blue Water Bridge in Ontario arrested Manpreet Singh, 27, from Brampton, after discovering 52 kilograms of suspected cocaine in a commercial truck during a secondary inspection.

The RCMP took Mr. Singh into custody and he now faces charges of importation and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Mr. Singh has not been convicted and the issue is before the court.

Five truck drivers were charged last year with attempting to import illegal drugs into Canada via the Blue Water Bridge, which connects Sarnia and Michigan.