SPOKANE, Wash. — An Indian national who was arrested by border patrol agents near the U.S.-Canadian border with nearly 200 pounds of illegal drugs may also face deportation.
31-year-old Jaskaran Singh of Gujarat, India was captured on Fourth of July Creek Road, a dirt road that dead ends in the area of Danville on April 29, 2023.
U.S. Border Patrol agents said they observed three people on tripped motion sensor cameras who crossed over the border into the United States, carrying backpacks and a suitcase.
Moments after the sensor trip, they said they saw a Honda Odyssey driving on the dirt road, away from the border.
Border patrol pulled the Odyssey, driven by Singh, over.
During a search of the van, agents said they found the backpacks and suitcase.
Inside the baggage, they found more than 173 pounds of MDMA pills, also known as “ecstasy.”
This is one of the largest MDMA seizures in Eastern Washington history, with a street value of over $7.8 million.
Border Patrol said it also found a map of the area on Singh’s phone, messages explaining where he should go, what time to arrive and a directive to “leave the back hood open.”
The three men who crossed the border evaded law enforcement and returned to Canada.
Investigators said Singh flew from Northern California to Washington and rented the Odyssey in Seattle.
Singh was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute the drugs in March of 2025.
He faces up to 20 years in prison and possible removal from the United States, when he will be sentenced on June 25, 2025.
“The transnational drug trafficking organization for whom Singh worked had identified the ideal, isolated location in rural Washington to smuggle illegal drugs across the northern border,” said Acting United States Attorney Barker. “Fortunately, our team of experienced Border Patrol agents were ready, and they intercepted this poison before it could harm communities in Eastern Washington.” “International drug traffickers like Mr. Singh profit by flooding our country with illicit, dangerous drugs that harm our citizens,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “I am gratified that we, at the Drug Enforcement Administration, can stand with our partners in the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold people like Mr. Singh accountable for their crimes.” “Spokane Sector agents are vigilantly safeguarding our borders, swiftly detecting, and interdicting cross-border smuggling activities. This conviction highlights the Spokane Border Patrol Sector’s unwavering commitment to protecting communities from illicit drugs and those who attempt to smuggle them across our borders,” said Jason Liebe, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Spokane Sector for the U.S. Border Patrol.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
