SURREY, BC, May 3, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is committed to keeping Canadians safe and ensuring individuals who attempt to smuggle illegal firearms and narcotics across the border are held accountable.

Following a CBSA investigation, Jerry Armas, a U.S. Citizen from California, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for possessing and attempting to smuggle a loaded, prohibited handgun into Canada.

Armas appeared before the court in Surrey, BC on March 21, 2024, and pleaded guilty to two offences with the following sentences:

• Section 95(1) of the Criminal Code: 25 months for possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition
• Section 159(1) of the Customs Act: 2 months for smuggling a firearm

In addition to the prison sentence, Armas also received a lifetime firearms prohibition.

In March 2023, Armas attempted to enter Canada through the Douglas port of entry with no declaration. Upon a vehicle examination, border services officers found 18.1 grams of cocaine and a privately-made, un-serialized 9mm ghost gun, along with 118 rounds of ammunition. CBSA investigators subsequently charged Armas for offences under the Customs Act and Criminal Code.

"Stopping prohibited firearms from coming into Canada is part of CBSA's commitment to protect our communities. This conviction and sentence demonstrate the important work being done at our borders and the consequences individuals face for smuggling."

-       Nina Patel, Regional Director General, CBSA Pacific Region

• It is a traveller's responsibility to learn about the rules to import a firearm or weapon into Canada. Firearms that are not properly declared, and the vehicles used to carry them, may be seized by the CBSA.
• Smuggling narcotics, prohibited weapons and other Customs Act and Criminal Code contraventions may lead to prosecution in a court of law. A court conviction can result in fines, jail time, and impact a foreign national's ability to return to Canada in the future.
• For the latest narcotics and enforcement statistics, visit Canada Border Services Agency seizures.
• Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is encouraged to call the CBSA Border Watch Toll-free Line at 1-888-502-9060 or submit a tip online.

@CanBorderPAC

SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2024/03/c9501.html