Man caught entering Canada with undeclared guns sentenced to 4 years: CBSA

An image of undeclared guns seized at the Belleville Ferry Terminal in Victoria, B.C., on Sept. 1, 2024. (Handout)

A foreign national who was caught with undeclared guns while entering Canada at a B.C. ferry terminal has been sentenced to four years behind bars.

The Canada Border Services Agency said Reuben Velasquez was referred for examination after declaring multiple firearms on his arrival to the Belleville Ferry Terminal in Victoria back in September 2023.

Officers then found the 44-year-old in possession of six additional undeclared guns, according to the CBSA.

He was convicted last month in Williams Lake provincial court on one count of possessing a loaded, prohibited or restricted firearms without authorization or licence and one count of unauthorized possession of a firearm.

“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,” said Nina Patel, the CBSA’s Pacific regional director general, in a statement Monday.

As a foreign national, Velasquez could face deportation after serving his sentence, the CBSA said.