LOS ANGELES
A Canadian national has pleaded guilty to leading a criminal enterprise that trafficked more than 850 kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine from the United States into Canada, authorities announced Thursday.
Key facts:
- Defendant: Guramrit Sidhu, 62, of Brampton, Ontario, Canada
- Charge: Engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise
- Indictment: Lead defendant in a 23-count federal indictment filed January 2024
- Custody status: Extradited from Canada; in U.S. federal custody since October 2024
Scope of operation:
- Timeframe: September 2020 to February 2023
- Peak trafficking period: September 13 to October 24, 2022
- Drug loads: Eight shipments seized by law enforcement
- Quantities seized:
- Methamphetamine: ~523 kilograms (1,153 pounds)
- Cocaine: ~347 kilograms (765 pounds)
- Estimated value: $15 million to $17 million (wholesale)
How the scheme worked:
- Bulk drugs purchased in the United States
- Transported into Canada via long-haul semi-trucks
- Couriers used prearranged phone numbers and serialized currency as identification “tokens”
- Drugs retrieved at Canadian locations for further distribution
Case status:
- Sentencing: Scheduled for July 9 before U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt
- Potential penalty:
- Mandatory minimum: 20 years in federal prison
- Maximum: Life imprisonment
Co-defendants:
- Sidhu is the seventh defendant to plead guilty
- Other defendants have received sentences ranging from 27 months to 108 months in federal prison
This case is part of a broader federal effort targeting transnational drug trafficking organizations operating between the United States and Canada.