15 Canadians charged in cartel probe
200 kgs of cocaine seized
MONTREAL —— An international plot linked to Colombian and Mexican drug cartels to bring cocaine into Canada through Nova Scotia ended with charges against 15 people, including a military employee who had security clearance at the largest airbase on the East Coast, a Canadian Coast Guard employee serving aboard a patrol vessel and an Olympic athlete.
The accused — six from Montreal, five from the Toronto-area and four from Nova Scotia — face charges after an RCMP-led investigation into several drug- and firearm-smuggling conspiracies.
The RCMP released details of Operation Harrington during a news conference in Dartmouth, N.S., Tuesday.
The investigation began two years ago when investigators received a tip that someone in Canada was preparing to smuggle cocaine from South America to Nova Scotia. As the investigation progressed, investigators learned several people tied to Mexican and Colombian drug cartels were trying to bring cocaine into Canada. While 200 kilograms of cocaine were seized, the RCMP said it “had control” of what the drug smugglers thought was going to arrive in Nova Scotia.
“In this particular case we had control of how some of these conspiracies unfolded,” RCMP Insp. Glen Lambe said without revealing much more.
Among those arrested was a Royal Canadian Air Force employee who had security clearance and access to restricted areas at 14 Wing Greenwood, the largest airbase on the East Coast.
Darlene Richards, 54, was the administrative assistant to the commanding officer of 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron at the time of her arrest. She is alleged to be involved in two conspiracies to import cocaine into Canada. She has worked for the federal government since 1991 and underwent a security screening process before her posting, a military spokesman said.
“She no longer has access to restricted areas and her security clearance is under review,” said Lt. Sylvain Rousseau, public affairs officer for 14 Wing.
The 413 Squadron is the primary air search and rescue unit on the East Coast, responsible for an area from south of Nova Scotia, north to Iqaluit on Baffin Island, west to Quebec City and east to the middle of the Atlantic, DND says.
The coast guard employee who was charged works in a junior position aboard a vessel in the fleet. He was not identified by name.
Also facing charges is Ryan Wedding, 33, a former Olympic snowboarder who represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Games.
Wedding recently completed a four-year sentence for his role in a conspiracy to purchase 24 kilos of cocaine in a sting operation in the United States. While serving his sentence, he was deported to Canada in 2011. Wedding is originally from Coquitlam, B.C., but, according to the indictment against him in a Montreal court, he was residing in a Montreal condo when Operation Harrington was under way. As of Tuesday afternoon, the RCMP was still trying to locate him.
In 2010, the former Olympian received a reduced sentence in San Diego because a judge was convinced he was a low risk to re-offend.
“I’m ashamed that I became part of the problem because for years, as part of being an athlete and having an outgoing personality, I was part of the solution,” Wedding told the U.S. District Court judge before he was sentenced in 2010. “I’ve always mentored kids and encouraged kids and, well, people of all ages, to join sports and stay in school, stay clean, you know. I’ve always done that and I guess I lost my way,” he said.