A Canadian sailor is facing a possession charge after more than 750 litres of liquid meth was found on a boat he was allegedly piloting off the coast of Oregon.
U.S. prosecutors said in a news release Friday that 65-year-old John Phillip Stirling was arrested Tuesday, after U.S. Coast Guard personnel spotted a Washington State-registered vessel near Newport, Ore.
Officials tried to communicate, but Stirling would only use the onboard radio from inside the vessel and wouldn’t come out.
They boarded the boat, named Mandalay. Stirling, the only person onboard, was allegedly showing signs of an overdose, such as “deteriorating speech.” He was taken by helicopter to Astoria, Ore., for medical treatment.
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Authorities found 28 jugs each filled with roughly 26 litres of liquid methamphetamine on the boat.
Stirling has been charged with possession with intent to distribute the drugs, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
He made his first court appearance in federal court in Portland, Ore., on Friday, and remains detained, pending trial.
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