Prison time for driving kilo of cocaine to city
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A man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Monday for helping another man — the target of a drug investigation — transport cocaine into Brandon.
Jorge Mendoza-Landaverde, 29, was found guilty of possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in May after standing trial in Brandon’s Court of King’s Bench.
Crown attorney Alana Parashin said Mendoza-Landaverde was working as a driver for a man charged with several drug-related offences who is scheduled to stand trial in March 2026. His charges have not been proven in court, and he remains innocent until proven guilty.
The Brandon courthouse. (File)
Parashin said Mendoza-Landaverde assisted the man in bringing one kilogram of cocaine from Winnipeg to Brandon, where police intercepted and arrested him in October 2023.
She said the evidence showed that Mendoza-Landaverde made the one trip to Winnipeg and that Brandon police had never seen him in the course of their drug-trafficking investigation.
While Parashin acknowledged that the evidence showed he had no decision-making power, the court determined that he knew he was transporting the cocaine, and she said the amount is aggravating.
“The court is well aware of the devastation that cocaine has on this community,” she said. “We’re dealing with a significant quantity of a kilogram, and that translates to approximately 20,000 half-gram doses, so that can reach a number of people in the community.”
Parashin and defence lawyer Anthony Dawson presented a joint recommendation of three and a half years.
Dawson said Mendoza-Landaverde has no prior criminal record and may face immigration consequences since he emigrated from El Salvador and is a permanent resident.
“It’s certainly a matter that’s going to affect him after he is finished serving his time,” Dawson said.
Since moving to Canada, Dawson said his client has experienced depression, which worsened when his ex-partner left him and took their young daughter with her.
He said he turned to drugs to cope and became addicted.
He has since addressed his cocaine addiction and attended counselling, Dawson said.
When given a chance to speak, Mendoza-Landaverde apologized.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said. “I never would have made this stupid choice if I knew this was the case.”
Judge Donovan Dvorak said 20,000 doses of cocaine is a “fair amount of drugs” considering Brandon’s population is roughly 50,000.
“It may have been one time, but a kilogram is a fair bit to move.”
Dvorak said the joint recommendation was appropriate and sentenced him to three and a half years in prison.
» sanderson@brandonsun.com