Foreign national sentenced to four years after CBSA finds undeclared firearms at Victoria ferry terminal

A 44-year-old foreign national has been sentenced to four years in prison following a Canadian Border Services Agency investigation into firearms offences at a British Columbia port of entry.

According to the Canadian Border Services Agency, Reuben Velasquez was sentenced on Feb. 3, 2026, in Williams Lake Provincial Court after being convicted of two offences under the Criminal Code: possession of a loaded, prohibited or restricted firearm without authorization or licence under section 95(1), and unauthorized possession of a firearm under section 91(1).

The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 1, 2023, when Velasquez sought entry to Canada at the Belleville Ferry Terminal in Victoria, B.C. Border services officers referred him for further examination after he declared multiple firearms.

During a search of his vehicle, officers discovered six additional firearms that had not been declared, the agency said. CBSA investigators later laid several Criminal Code charges related to the weapons.

As a foreign national, Velasquez may be subject to removal from Canada once he completes his prison sentence, according to the agency.