Authorities find cocaine after small aircraft makes unexpected landing
A small aircraft made an emergency landing on a Southern California highway early Thursday morning, but the situation took a dramatic turn when police arrested the pilot and his passenger for drug smuggling.
The pilot, 21-year-old Gabriel Leon Breit, called authorities around 1:45 a.m. to report engine trouble aboard the Piper Cherokee Pathfinder. Breit informed officials that he would be making an emergency landing on State Route 76 in Oceanside, according to NBC San Diego.
Breit, a flight instructor, and his student passenger, 36-year-old Troy Othneil Smith, successfully landed the plane without injury. However, upon arriving at the scene, police observed one of the men attempting to hide a backpack in a nearby brush, Oceanside Police Assistant Chief Taurino Valdovinos said during a news conference.
Both men were detained, and authorities discovered a small amount of cocaine on Smith. Upon further investigation, officers located an additional kilogram of cocaine in the hidden backpack. Both Breit and Smith were subsequently charged with drug trafficking.
Landing linked to engine trouble, but drugs discovered
The emergency landing was initially attributed to engine malfunction. Breit, an experienced flight instructor, and Smith were flying back to Oceanside after a brief stop in Phoenix. The plane’s owner, who rents it out through a flying club called Plus One Flyers, confirmed that the two had rented the aircraft as a flight instructor and student.
“It doesn’t surprise me. I think we have narcotics coming into our country in various ways, but I think the surprising part is the emergency landing and how we came across it,” said Valdovinos.
Owner and family stunned by drug discovery
The owner of the plane expressed disbelief upon learning that the incident had escalated into a drug-related arrest. “Unbelievable. Unbelievable that this is what people do,” he told NBC San Diego, choosing to remain anonymous.
Breit’s family also expressed shock. His grandfather, Victor Keisman, said that the situation was out of character for his grandson. “It doesn’t make any sense that he would get in any trouble,” Keisman remarked. He noted that Breit was diligently working to accumulate the 1,500 flight hours required by the FAA to become a commercial jet pilot. “He is very professional, so it doesn’t fit with his character. I have no idea what happened.”
DEA and local authorities take over the investigation
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirmed that it is assisting the Oceanside Police Department and executed a search warrant Thursday morning. The plane remained on the roadway for nearly 12 hours while the North County Narcotics Task Force conducted its investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also investigating the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing, though no further details have been released.
Breit and Smith were both released on bail Thursday evening, but the investigation continues.