https://www.military.com/daily...ocaine-colombia.html

Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach 19 Aug 2018 By Jim Thompson

A 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) soldier has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly 90 pounds of cocaine from Colombia into the United States, according to an NBC News report.

The report, sourced to two unidentified U.S. defense officials, says Master Sgt. Daniel Gould was arrested Monday after U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents "found 40 kilograms of cocaine in two military backpacks on a military airplane in Colombia."

Contacted Saturday, Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, director of public affairs at U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said Colombian authorities were alerted to the presence of the cocaine by an unidentified Special Operations Command soldier. But according to Bockholt, the cocaine never actually made it onto the aircraft.

The NBC News report indicated the plane departing from Colombia was headed for Eglin Air Force Base, and that Gould had returned to the United States before the cocaine was discovered. It was not clear how the cocaine was tied specifically to Gould, and Bockholt would not comment on that aspect of the NBC News report.

No information on the incident was available from the Drug Enforcement Administration on Saturday afternoon.

The NBC News report said Gould is assigned to the 7th Group. Maj. Kimbia Rey, public affairs officer at the 7th Group headquarters near Crestview, and Col. Patrick Colloton, commander of the 7th Group, referred additional questions to Army Special Operations Command.

Bockholt's official comments on the incident, which did not mention Gould by name, were contained in a two-sentence response to an inquiry from the Northwest Florida Daily News, the same statement provided to NBC News.

"We are aware of recent allegations concerning a U.S. soldier assigned under U.S. Army Special Operations Command for reportedly attempting to smuggle narcotics from Colombia into the U.S.," Bockholt said in the statement. "We are cooperating fully with law enforcement officials concerning this matter. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation and the rights of the individual, there is no additional information available for release at this time."

According to a 2010 Army news release, Gould was awarded a Silver Star, the nation's third-highest military honor, for actions during the 7th Group's 2007-08 deployment to Afghanistan. The 7th Group moved from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Eglin in 2011.

pretty ballsy - but lots of unanswered questions

SOCOM definitely attracts and retains a higher caliber of soldier - but they still must be supervised as this type of case demonstrates

wonder if we will ever know the full story

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How did he do it, everyone knows that SF likes to "wink wink" break / lose all their toys on deployments, was he was carrying 90lbs of snow in his TDY bag?

A lot weirder things have been "smuggled" home in TA-50, conexes...or "sensitive radio equipment" , glad to hear someone called him out.

A modern day Frank Lucas?? American Gangster, a true story of how heroin was shipped to the United States.

One of the first details I did as an MP was to go through those conex containers of peoples personal stuff coming back from down range. I found a few sex toys which were funny, but one time I found a box of live 9mm ammo and you woulda thought I found 90lb of coke..
if I had known that it was going to be that huge of a deal I would have just tossed that box of ammo in a trash can.. I bet the dude it belonged to was a civilian not long after that.

He got greedy. 90 lbs.?

Sgt Peterson got caught

I think he was set up. He had already flown home, so why did he have 2 bags that weren’t flown home yet? Sounds like someone else was the smuggler and put his name on them and was planning on having someone else intercept them when they get stateside. Won’t be able to prove they were his without a confession. If he wasn’t stateside already, I’d think differently.

Many questions need to be asked here.
I wouldn't take it at face value.

This soldier dishonored himself and gives a bad name to all the SOF who hold themselves to incredibly high standards.

quote:

Originally posted by kimber1911:
Many questions need to be asked here.
I wouldn't take it at face value.

I agree. Create a diversion with a 40 kilogram bust involving Army Special Forces over "here" while over "there" a CONEX with 10,000 kilos slips by and heads down the road.

I’m waiting until the facts are solidified before condemning him. If it is true, I would be very much interested in his connections in both Columbia and the US. You don’t just waltz in with 40 kilos and no plan already in place for distribution.

Running afoul of the law is more common than you would think. The leeway that is given to soldiers (SF or otherwise) is astounding.

If you have a commander that cares about what happens to you, he'll be giving you the speech about "staying on the reservation" often. It goes hand in hand with the reminder that you're not above the law, despite the incredible freedom and responsibility you're given in order to accomplish the mission.

V.

That was what Air America was for!

Private stash. No secret those guys like performance enhancers. Surprised it wasn't amphetamine.

Just because he's SF doesn't mean he's a saint. They have bad apples too. If this was for him, I see it as a victimless crime.

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:
Private stash. No secret those guys like performance enhancers. Surprised it wasn't amphetamine.

90 pounds ain’t no private stash

quote:

Originally posted by PD:

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:
Private stash. No secret those guys like performance enhancers. Surprised it wasn't amphetamine.

90 pounds ain’t no private stash

I'm sure he'd share with his friends.

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:

quote:

Originally posted by PD:

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:
Private stash. No secret those guys like performance enhancers. Surprised it wasn't amphetamine.

90 pounds ain’t no private stash

I'm sure he'd share with his friends.

LOL. That’s a lot friends.

quote:

Originally posted by PD:

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:

quote:

Originally posted by PD:

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:
Private stash. No secret those guys like performance enhancers. Surprised it wasn't amphetamine.

90 pounds ain’t no private stash

I'm sure he'd share with his friends.

LOL. That’s a lot friends.

Or a lot of hookers....

quote:

Originally posted by White Phosphorus:
Running afoul of the law is more common than you would think. The leeway that is given to soldiers (SF or otherwise) is astounding.

I've found this to be quite true. You have a group of people who are separate from the "regular" Army and who get away with stuff that Soldiers normally wouldn't. They keep taking it further and further each time because they want to see how far they can take it.

Uniform standard? Shaving standard? Nah...