The Blotter

The Times' criminal justice team looks behind the scenes and behind the headlines.

July 8, 2009 at 4:19 PM

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Feds: Canadian tried to smuggle coke across border

-- From Times staff reporter Ian Ith:

A Canadian man was arrested at the border at Blaine Tuesday after border guards said they caught him trying to smuggle more than 100 kilograms of cocaine back into Canada.

Kevin Marocchi was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle with one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The charge carries at least 10 years in prison if he is convicted.

About noon Tuesday, Customs and Border Protection agents stopped Marocchi in his Ford F-150 pickup as he headed north on Interstate 5 toward Canada, the charging documents said. On the front seat of the truck agents found a shopping bag containing a package of cocaine that had been sliced open, the documents said.

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They opened the canopy to the back of the truck and found five cardboard boxes with a total of 100 plastic-wrapped packages of cocaine, the prosecution alleges. It all weighed in at 108 kilos, or 238 pounds.

Marocchi remains held in federal detention pending a hearing next week.

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Comments (2)

Why did he leave some in plain sight on the front seat? Can he also be charged with being a dumb@ss? Posted on July 8, 2009 at 4:59 PM by dame judith. Jump to comment

And to think I thought all the coke in the U.S. was coming across the OTHER border. Canadian coke? Who would've thought! Posted on July 8, 2009 at 4:41 PM by SeaninS.D.. Jump to comment

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The Blotter

Feds: Canadian tried to smuggle coke across border

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