Seattle – A 51-year-old resident of Alberta, Canada, was sentenced today to ten years in prison for his attempt to smuggle nearly 1,432 pounds of methamphetamine from the U.S. into Canada, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Ted Karl Faupel was arrested on May 25, 2022, in a small boat on Puget Sound near the San Juan Islands. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered the boat riding low in the water near Stuart Island. Law enforcement seized 28 locked duffle bags loaded with 539 packages of highly pure methamphetamine. Faupel also had a loaded firearm within reach.
“This huge load of methamphetamine represents hundreds of thousands of doses on the streets of Canada,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “We know violent criminal gangs get rich off the pain of addiction. I am glad this shipment is off the streets and not furthering addiction and the gang violence that is part and parcel of the drug trade.”
According to records filed in the case, officers with CBP’s Office of Field Operations, Air and Marine, encountered the 18’ Bayliner Capri
speedboat as it was headed towards Canada. The boat had Canadian registration numbers. The Customs and Border Patrol vessel used lights and siren to get the watercraft to stop. The officers noted that the speedboat was riding very low in the water. Faupel was taken into custody and the boat was taken to the Bellingham Coast Guard Station where a drug dog alerted to the presence of narcotics.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that gang paraphernalia was found in the boat. “You don’t start transporting drugs for (a violent street gang) if you fear for your family…. This is a very dangerous group and (Faupel) chose to gamble with his family’s safety.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.