A Canadian citizen was accused of participating in an international arms trafficking network and was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison in the United States for conspiring to illegally smuggle 65 pistols from United States territory into Canada.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania reported that Durante King-Mclean, 27, of Cambridge, Ontario, received the sentence from Federal Judge Jennifer P. Wilson after pleading guilty in May 2025 to conspiracy to traffic firearms.

According to court documents, the case originated on September 2, 2023, when Pennsylvania State Police officers stopped a rental vehicle driven by King-Mclean in Franklin County. During the inspection, the suspect attempted to escape on foot, but was captured after a brief chase. A subsequent search of the car revealed 65 guns hidden in the trunk of the vehicle. Among the seized weapons were two fully automatic weapons, 11 reported stolen and one with the serial number removed.

The investigations established that King-Mclean maintained constant communication with his accomplices between April and September 2023. During that period he remained in temporary accommodation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before renting the vehicle with which he undertook the journey to the Canadian border transporting the illegally acquired weapons. Federal authorities maintain that the arsenal was destined for the Canadian criminal market.

The case gained international notoriety due to the defendant's alleged ties to the largest gold theft in Canadian history. Following his arrest in the United States, King-Mclean was accused by Canadian authorities of participating in the April 17, 2023, assault on the Air Canada cargo terminal at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, where gold bars and foreign currency valued at approximately $22.5 million were stolen.

Canadian investigators maintain that part of the resources obtained in that robbery were used to finance the purchase of weapons in the United States.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) highlighted that cross-border weapons trafficking constitutes one of the main threats to public safety in both countries. The special agent in charge of the Philadelphia Division, Eric J. DeGree, noted that the sentence reflects the seriousness of a crime that facilitates criminal organizations' access to high-powered weapons and demonstrates the effectiveness of cooperation between US and Canadian agencies.

The sentence of more than 13 years in prison represents one of the most severe punishments recently imposed in the United States for international arms trafficking destined for Canada and sends a message of toughening up against networks that take advantage of the regulatory differences between both countries to supply criminal groups. Security experts have warned that a significant portion of the weapons recovered at crime scenes in Canada are of American origin, which has made combating arms smuggling a priority for authorities on both sides of the border.