Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Simon Peter Danielson (37, Vancouver, British Columbia) to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to transport 250 kilograms of cocaine by boat from the Caribbean to the east coast of Canada. Danielson pleaded guilty in May 2016.
According to court documents, Danielson was piloting the sailing vessel (“SV”) Liberty in international waters when he was intercepted by a Royal Netherlands Navy ship approximately 82 miles northwest of Aruba. While preparing to board the SV Liberty, members of the United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (“LEDET”) 405 aboard the Dutch vessel witnessed Danielson dumping kilogram-sized bricks into the water. Upon boarding the SV Liberty, the LEDET team recovered nine bales of cocaine, with a total weight of approximately 250 kilograms.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Gerard.