U.S. Federal prosecutors announced arrests Monday in a plot to smuggle methamphetamine from Canada into the United States in exchange for guns.
Three dual Canadian-American citizens from Akwesasne, the Mohawk territory straddling the Canada-U.S. border, were arrested last Thursday, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.
Basil Lazore, 47, and Michael Arquette, 38, face charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. Patricia Ransom, 81, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Lazore was arrested in Canada; Arquette and Ransom in the United States. The alleged network moved drugs from Canada into the U.S. and planned to exchange methamphetamine for firearms.
The investigation involved U.S., Canadian, and tribal law enforcement, including the Ontario Provincial Police, RCMP, Sûreté du Québec, and Akwesasne police. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Source: gananoquereporter.com
