DOPE-TRUCK CANUCKS NABBED AT US BORDER

Seven people appeared in U.S. federal court in Seattle yesterday after
109 kilograms of high-grade B.C. marijuana was seized in a search of
two Canadian military vehicles trying to cross into Blaine, Wash., on
the weekend.

"This is the first time that I have encountered a Canadian military
vehicle smuggling drugs," said Chuck McLeod, a U.S. Customs special
agent at Blaine.

"And what concerns me as much is the size of this load," said McLeod.
"This is the largest marijuana seizure that we've had in the Blaine
area."

U.S. Customs officers valued the marijuana -- found in five duffel
bags -- at $800,000 to $1.2 million US.

All seven, including a sergeant in the military reserves, are charged
with conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana.

"We work on a regular basis with military, and a lot of our members,
who are law enforcement, are military personnel," said Rodney Tureaud,
special agent in charge for investigations for the U.S. Customs Service
in Seattle. "So we were disappointed that they would use Canadian
uniforms and military vehicles to smuggle drugs."

Customs said that at about 7:15 p.m. Saturday, the two Canadian
military vehicles entered the Pacific Highway port of entry at Blaine.

The drivers told the inspector they were on their way to pick up a
broken-down military vehicle in Ferndale, Wash. One of the drivers
presented valid military identification indicating his rank as a
sergeant in the Canadian military reserves.

"We see all kinds of methods being used to smuggle narcotics along the
border," said McLeod. "And this would seem to be a fairly good method
if you had access to it. The thought process would be, 'Hey, the
military. Who's going to bother to look at the military?' Well,
somebody did."

Canadians charged are Brent Sheldon Rusnak, 32, Sten Sture Strom, 36,
Robert Ralph Laurin, 34, Wesley Dean Antholz, 41, and Yoshi George
Yamada, 53. Strom is a member of the Canadian military reserves.

Americans charged are Roderick Arthur Brennan, 52, and Erin Nicole
Harms, 26.

"We were highly surprised," said Capt. Daniel Thomas, public affairs
officer for the Canadian army reserves in B.C.

"It's now in the hands of the national investigative service," he
added.

Customs agents and officers for the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration drove the trucks with the marijuana to a shopping mall
in Blaine, where the load was scheduled to be received by a third
person.

Laurin was arrested after the marijuana was offloaded into a rented
van, according to U.S. agents. After the van was seized, customs agents
answered a cell-phone that belonged to Laurin.

The caller asked about the delay and that the pot be taken to an
underground parking garage at a Seattle hotel.

Yamada, Brennan, Antholz, and Harms were arrested at the hotel.