Two British Columbians facing indictment in the U.S. for allegedly dumping massive bales of marijuana off a boat during a high-speed boat chase in Port Angeles, Washington, are back in Canada until their next court appearance.

Kyle Grayson Gadsby, 25, and Colin Charles Crowe, 26, both of Maple Ridge, were released from a federal detention centre in Seatac, Washington, earlier this week after a detention hearing. Both are charged with conspiracy to import marijuana.

At the hearing, families of both men put up property as a surety if the men skip their next court appearance. The property could be forfeited to the U.S. government if the pair does not make their scheduled court date.

A preliminary hearing is slated for June 15, but it's unlikely either of the accused will attend, Emily Langlie of the U.S. Attorney's Office told ctvbc.ca.

"Both men waived their right to a preliminary hearing," she said. "This could go straight to grand jury."

Court documents obtained by ctvbc.ca show an investigation into the men began after agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency reported seeing the duo coming ashore with bales of marijuana on a boat near Callam Bay, west of Port Angeles, early on May 31.

The men allegedly jumped back in their boat and sped off north in the Strait of Juan de Fuca after being ordered to stop by a special agent with the U.S. Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) team.

The men were apprehended by a border patrol vessel after a three-minute chase.

Officials say they confiscated eight bundles of marijuana, totaling 547 pounds, floating in the water near the boat. The packages were wrapped in black plastic and secured with silver duct tape.

According to court documents, both Gadsby and Crowe told customs officials they knew the packages on their boat contained marijuana. The men were to be paid $5,000 to transport the drugs to a beach in the U.S., they said.

Conspiracy to import marijuana is an offense that carries a mandatory five year sentence and a maximum penalty of 40 years in the U.S.