Former UN Gang leader Clay Roueche filed a notice of civil claim today (Friday) against the attorney general of B.C. and the Vancouver and Abbotsford police departments (VPD and APD).
Roueche, who earlier this week had his 30-year U.S. prison sentence upheld, claims several police agencies were involved in arranging his "unlawful" arrest in Mexico on May 17, 2008.
He claims the Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit, the Organized Crime Agency of B.C., the RCMP, the BC Integrated Gang Task Force, the VPD and the APD breached his rights under the Privacy Act when they informed U.S. authorities of his plans to travel to Mexico.
This resulted in Roueche being detained upon his arrival in Mexico and refused entry into the country, ensuring he boarded a plane which would land in the U.S., the claim states.
The plane was destined for Vancouver, B.C., but stopped in Dallas, Texas, where Roueche was arrested on a warrant from the Western District of Washington (Seattle).
Roueche claims his rights were further breached under the Privacy Act in several other instances.
This included when B.C. police provided to U.S. authorities: information obtained from a search of his Coquitlam home; intercepted private communications, which were also released to the media; and other private information.
"As a result of the unlawful acts of the defendants, and its agents, the plaintiff suffered loss and damage, including financial loss, emotional and mental distress, and breaches of his civil rights and liberties as guaranteed by the Charter," the claim states.
He is seeking general, special and aggravated damages, as well as declarations that his Charter rights were infringed.
Roueche pleaded guilty in April 2009 to conspiring with others, from 2005 on, to export cocaine from the U.S. to Canada and to import B.C. Bud into the U.S. He further admitted that he conspired with others to transport and deliver the cash proceeds from the illegal drug sales.