Methamphetamine smuggling attempt foiled at northern border
Small motorboat loaded down with more than 1400 pounds of meth destined for Canada
Seattle – A 51-year-old resident of Alberta, Canada was arrested on the water in the U.S. San Juan Islands yesterday in a small watercraft loaded with more than 1400 pounds of methamphetamine. Ted Karl Faupel, was taken into custody after U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) encountered the boat riding low in the water near Stuart Island.
According to the criminal complaint, officers with CBP’ Office of Field Operations encountered the 18’ Bayliner Capri speedboat as it was headed towards Canada. The boat had Canadian registration numbers. The Customs and Border Patrol vessel used lights and siren to get the watercraft to stop. The officers noted that the speedboat was riding very low in the water.
The boat’s driver, Faupel, agreed to pull back the cabin cover and the officers noted a number of duffle bags that were secured with small luggage padlocks. Acting on border search authority, officers made a small cut in one bag and observed shrink wrap packaging of what appeared to be crystal methamphetamine.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/methamphetamine-smuggling-attempt-foiled-northern-border
