February 23, 2007

Owner of house used in border "drug tunnel" sentenced in federal court
Defendant concealed bank deposits to aid drug smuggling activities along Canadian border

SEATTLE - A Spokane County woman was sentenced today to six months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally structuring a financial transaction related to her purchase of a home that served as the U.S. portal for the first drug smuggling tunnel ever uncovered along the nation's northern border.

A multi-agency investigation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed that over a five-week period starting in August 2003, Kusum Patel, 52, of Mead, Washington, had made a series of 12 currency deposits in a Spokane bank, all in amounts of $10,000 or less. Patel also admitted that she structured the deposits to evade federal currency transaction reporting requirements. Banks are required to file reports for any cash transaction exceeding $10,000.

Patel's deposits totaled $86,600, and the money was withdrawn in a check used to make a down payment for the purchase of a house in Lynden. Patel is a citizen of Canada, but a legal resident of the United States. She was not charged with participating in the construction of the tunnel, or with drug trafficking.

Three Canadians from Surrey, British Columbia, were sentenced last year for their roles in the construction of the tunnel. Francis Devandra Raj, 31, Timothy Woo, 35, and Jonathan Valenzuela, 28, were each sentenced to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release on drug trafficking charges.

The tunnel, located just east of the Lynden/Aldergrove border crossing, was under construction for more than a year. The 360-foot passageway, reinforced with steel and wood supports, ran three to ten feet below the ground. Both Canadian and American law enforcement monitored the tunnel's construction. In July 2005, authorities moved in, shutting the tunnel down and arresting the three men.

In addition to the prison time, Patel was fined $3,000. Once she is released from prison, Patel will be subject to five months of home detention on electronic monitoring.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police joined ICE in the investigation.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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