They were to be taken to the Canadian border yesterday and ultimately taken into the custody of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A fifth crewman holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship. He had been held as a material witness, but will be released. The Canadian government can request to have him extradited. The crewmen and the vessel were Canadian, and the cocaine was intended to be sold in Canada, he said.
Charges have yet to be filed in British Columbia.
Canadian authorities say the amount of cocaine shows that a significant criminal enterprise was at work. They haven't identified groups that might be responsible, though outlaw motorcycle gangs have been blamed for some drug dealing in British Columbia. Wednesday, Canadian patrol planes spotted the boat. U.S. authorities were notified. From then on, it was a U.S. production.