Seven year sentence handed to man who made accidental trip over Ambassador Bridge

A trip to Windsor has cost Federico Jimenez-Martinez more than the $9 toll fee. 

Justice Kirk Munroe found the 36-year-old Mexican citizen guilty of drug possession in May and handed him a seven year prison sentence Thursday morning.

“I think everybody's happy with the decision,” said RCMP constable Ian Smith.

In late August of 2021, Jimenez-Martinez was travelling from Arizona to Michigan when he accidentally hopped on the Ambassador Bridge.

A CBSA officer sent him to secondary.

During inspection 18 bricks of cocaine were found inside of a spare tire. The 18kgs had an estimated street value of $850,000 to $2 million.

“We're thankful they were able to stop Mr. Martinez and search his vehicle and find the contraband,” Smith said.

CBSA officers found 18 “brick-like” items hidden in this spare tire on Aug. 29, 2021. (Courtesy: Court documents)

He tells CTV News unwanted trips to Canada, like in the case of Jimenez-Martinez, happens quite frequently and sometimes leads to arrests.

“Happens every day, at the Ambassador Bridge in particular,” Smith said. “People are making wrong turns and having to go through Canada Customs. We've got several investigations on file and there's gonna be more in the future.”

During sentencing Munroe told Jimenez-Martinez, through an interpreter, his conduct was wrong and he wanted to make a point to the father of six by giving him a sentence that "tells you and everyone else that trafficking and hard drugs must stop.”

Jimenez-Martinez was credited with 33 months for time already served which reduced his sentence to four years and three months.

“We'd always like it to be more severe to deter that behaviour but it is what it is.” Smith said. “It kind of falls in standard with other decisions for similar cases of course.”

Both the Crown and defence attorneys declined to comment on the outcome of the trial.