BURSTA 44-year-old foreign national has been sentenced to four years in prison after he was caught attempting to smuggle undeclared firearms at Victoria’s Belleville Ferry Terminal.
According to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), an investigation began after Reuben Velasquez attempted to enter Canada via the downtown terminal Sept. 1, 2023.
Border services officers referred him for further examination after he declared multiple firearms. A search of his vehicle found him to be travelling with six undeclared firearms.
Velasquez was sentenced Feb. 3 in Williams Lake Provincial Court, after he was found guilty of possession of a loaded, prohibited or restricted firearm without authorization or licence; and unauthorised possession of a firearm.
As a foreign national, Velasquez may be subject to removal from Canada upon completion of his sentence.
“The CBSA protects our communities with firm and decisive enforcement actions at the border, said a statement by Nina Patel, regional director general at the Pacific Region Canada Border Services Agency. “A sentence like this one serves as a reminder that violating Canada’s laws will have serious consequences. Anyone who attempts to smuggle illegal firearms will be held accountable.”
According to CBSA, smuggling firearms and other contraventions of the Customs Act, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and Criminal Code may lead to arrest, criminal charges and prosecution in a court of law.
For foreign nationals this may mean removal from Canada, and a ban on returning.
In 2025, CBSA officers in B.C. made 2,640 seizures of firearms, weapons and prohibited devices.