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Canadian pot smugglers jailed, others warned by U.S. judge
CBC News | cbc.ca | Sun, 18 Jun 2006

A U.S. judge has sentenced five Canadian native people to jail for smuggling marijuana, with the warning that other Canadian offenders can expect the same treatment in the United States.

"I want every other First Nation member in Canada — and I want every other Canadian — to understand that the sentencing laws of the United States are very, very harsh," said U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez of Seattle.

Martinez sentenced the native people to six months in prison and two years of probation for their roles in a smuggling scheme.

They were arrested at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing north of Seattle on Oct. 30 last year, riding in several vans with about 36 kilograms of marijuana in each.

The accused had claimed they had a treaty right to unrestricted travel between the two countries, but Martinez rejected that defence, according to the Associated Press, saying he wanted to send a message to native people who serve as mules for drug smugglers.

Sentenced were: Abraham Charles Sheena, 54, and Ranger Oppenheim, 38, both of Merritt, B.C.; Fayve Quilt, 32, and Dide Quilt, 23, both of Hanceville, B.C.; and Joanne Rosette, 27, of Alkali Lake, B.C.

PSnote:Bolding is mine.

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