A Seattle judge on Wednesday denied a bail request from two British Columbia men, who are the alleged leaders of a drug smuggling ring.
Devron Quast and Robert Shannon are accused of masterminding an international organization which was allegedly responsible for smuggling tens of thousands of pounds of marijuana and thousands of pounds of cocaine.
Quast is the general manager of an Abbotsford car dealership, while Shannon is from Maple Ridge.
Just days after they were arrested in Ferndale, Wash., by undercover police officers, both men appeared at a bail hearing in a Seattle Federal court.
With their families looking on, lawyers for Quast and Shannon tried to convince U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler that - if released on bail -- the men would return to Seattle for their August trial.
Quast's lawyer said his client has no criminal history and leads a normal life.
Shannon's lawyer also argued that there is no connection between his client and the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.
Both men are presumed to be innocent until the charges against them are tested in a court of law.
But in deciding to reject their request for bail, Judge Theiler sided with U.S. government attorneys, who argued that both men pose a significant flight risk if they are permitted to return to Canada before they are tried in court.
The decision was handed down just 24 hours after Judge Theiler denied a bail request from lawyers acting for Clay Roueche, the alleged leader of The United Nations Gang.
Roueche, who is charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine, conspiracy to import marijuana, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, is also scheduled to be tried in August.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
