Canadian man sentenced for importing cocaine

NEWARK, N.J. — A Canadian man was sentenced Wednesday for smuggling more than 800 grams of cocaine into the United States from Costa Rica. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Azariah Wilson, 24, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Wilson ingested 56 pellets containing cocaine before boarding a flight from San Jose, Costa Rica, to Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark. Wilson then flew to Newark transporting 882.8 grams of cocaine. When Wilson arrived at the airport in Newark, he was arrested by CBP officers.

Wilson admitted he intended to travel to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, via Newark Liberty International Airport with the cocaine concealed in his body.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dara Aquila Govan, District of New Jersey, prosecuted this case on behalf of the U.S. government.