Brampton (Rajeev Sharma): A Canadian man of Punjabi origin has been sentenced to two decades in a United States federal prison after being convicted of leading a cross-border drug trafficking operation that moved massive quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine from the US into Canada.
The sentence was announced by the US Attorney’s Office following proceedings in a federal court, where Guramrit Sidhu, 63, admitted to running an organised narcotics network. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the conviction followed a lengthy multinational investigation involving agencies from the United States, Canada and Mexico.
According to prosecutors, Sidhu supervised a sophisticated trafficking operation between 2020 and early 2023. Investigators alleged that the organisation purchased bulk quantities of illegal drugs in the US before transporting them across the border using commercial freight vehicles.
Authorities said the investigation uncovered several major shipments that were intercepted before reaching their intended destinations. The seizures included more than 500 kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly 350 kilograms of cocaine, with officials estimating the wholesale value of the drugs at tens of millions of dollars.
Court records stated that Sidhu allegedly coordinated logistics for the deliveries, assigned pickup points and used coded methods to verify the identities of couriers handling the narcotics. Once the shipments entered Canada, members of the network reportedly collected and redistributed the drugs.
Sidhu pleaded guilty earlier this year to operating a continuing criminal enterprise and has remained in US custody since being extradited from Canada in October 2024.
Federal officials described the case as one of the largest cross-border narcotics investigations in recent years. Several co-accused linked to the trafficking network have also been convicted, with prison terms ranging from just over two years to nine years already imposed on different members of the organisation.
The investigation was carried out jointly by the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), US Customs and Border Protection and Mexican law enforcement agencies. Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration also provided operational support.
US authorities acknowledged the assistance of Canadian officials in facilitating Sidhu’s arrest and extradition, saying international cooperation played a crucial role in dismantling the alleged trafficking network.
Officials said the case highlights ongoing efforts by North American law enforcement agencies to disrupt organised crime groups involved in the large-scale movement of illegal drugs across international borders.
