James Munro was the only CBSA employee arrested in an investigation that centred on an attempt by people based in Montreal and New Brunswick to smuggle 500 kilograms of Colombian cocaine into Canada. Munro appeared in court Friday in St. Jean sur Richelieu, Que., for a bail hearing. He will learn on Tuesday if he is to be released while he faces eight criminal charges.Court documents filed in the United States about a drug trafficking ring that was recently broken up in Montreal suggest the ring had more than one Canadian border guard within its fold.On Thursday, the RCMP announced the arrests of seven people, including James Munro, a 26-year-old border guard employed by the Canadian Border Services Agency who worked at Quebec's Lacolle border crossing.Two Quebecers who allegedly took part in the conspiracy were arrested in Florida on Tuesday and charged with bringing 25,000 MDMA, or ecstasy, pills into the U.S. as part of a deal made with an undercover FBI agent.
The two men - alleged ringleader Sylvain Levert, 41, of Chambly, and Serge (Frenchy) Desilets, 54, of Maniwaki - were charged in U.S. District Court in Florida. Affidavits filed in their cases suggest the pair counted on the co-operation of more than one customs agent to smuggle drugs in and out of Canada.The two are suspected of conspiring to smuggle drugs - including marijuana and ecstasy - into the United States in exchange for cocaine smuggled into Canada. According to one affidavit, Desilets was introduced to the undercover agent in May 2007, after a Florida man caught with 11 kilograms of marijuana decided to co-operate with authorities by revealing his supplier. By Aug. 7, 2007, Desilets told the undercover agent he felt comfortable enough to do business with him and was willing to sell him large quantities of hydroponic marijuana grown in Canada.In one of several references in the affidavit to Desilets or Levert claiming to control border agents, Desilets allegedly told the agent last summer "he could get people into and out of Canada without their having to pass through customs."During their first face-to-face meeting in Vermont on Oct. 11, 2007, the undercover agent and Desilets discussed trading more than 400 kilograms of marijuana grown in Canada for 150 kilograms of cocaine from the U.S.During the meeting: "Desilets advised that his organization utilizes a customs border agent to assist their smuggling operation," according to the affidavit.Five days later, Desilets wanted to renegotiate the ratio of drugs to be traded with the undercover agent. According to the affidavit, during the same conversation: "They also discussed the corrupt customs border official in New Brunswick." The "border official" in question is not named in the court document.
During Thursday's news conference, RCMP Staff Sgt. Andre Potvin would only say it is possible other border agents would be investigated. On Friday RCMP Cpl. Elaine Lavergne repeated Potvin's comment, but noted no charges have been filed against other CBSA personnel.
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