A Canadian man is facing charges in Michigan after US officials seized 120 kg of cocaine Thursday at the Blue Water Bridge.
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The cocaine was found at about 4:30 pm by US Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security, according to a social media post by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan.
It said the driver, tractor trailer and other evidence were turned over to the St. Clair County Drug Task Force.
Juli Sabosan Sathiaseelan, 42, of Canada was arrested by 72nd District Court and bond was set at US$3 million, police said.
He has been charged with possession with intent to deliver 1,000 grams or more of cocaine.
Additional charges may be requested as a result of the investigation, the Sheriff’s office said.
“Our partnerships with other law enforcement agencies from local to federal are absolutely essential in keeping drugs out of our community,” Sheriff Mat King said in the Facebook post. “The drug task force’s impact goes far beyond the confines of the sheriff’s office.”
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The Blue Water Bridge spans the St. Clair River and connects Port Huron, Mich., with Point Edward, near Sarnia.
The arrest comes after Canadian border officers at the bridge found about 460 kilograms – almost half a ton – of cocaine packaged in bricks in a trailer on June 11, an RCMP spokesperson said previously. The weight of the drugs includes the packaging, with an estimated street value of $5.5 million, the spokesperson said.
The probe, which discovered the cocaine in 27 bags, started June 11 and continued into June 12, a Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson said.
Four suspects from Brampton and the Toronto area were arrested and are facing charges.
It was the third tractor-trailer drug smuggling case linked to the Canadian side of the Blue Water Bridge this year. Two men in their 30s, both from Toronto, were charged in March and April, respectively, also with importing cocaine. They both were granted lease, the latter for $200,000.
– With files from Terry Bridge of The Observer
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