WASHINGTON MAN CONVICTED IN INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING NETWORK MOVING COCAINE AND ECSTASY BETWEEN MEXICO, UNITED STATES AND CANADA

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — A federal jury has convicted a Washington state man for participating in an international drug trafficking organization that transported large quantities of cocaine and other narcotics between Mexico, the United States, and Canada through a distribution network operating across several jurisdictions.

David Joner, 58, of Fall City, Washington, was found guilty on October 16, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to export cocaine. The verdict follows a multiyear federal investigation into a Canadian-based criminal organization that used Southern California as a major transportation and exchange point for narcotics moving across North America.

Joner was among 16 defendants indicted by a federal grand jury in 2019 as part of Operation Dying Declaration, a joint investigation conducted by the FBI and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The operation targeted a trafficking organization headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, that coordinated international shipments of cocaine, methamphetamine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy or molly.

According to the federal indictment, the organization was led by Tenny Guon Lim, a previously convicted Canadian drug trafficker known by the aliases “The Goat” and “Max Power.” Lim remains in Canada pending extradition to the United States to face charges associated with the trafficking operation.

Investigators determined that the organization maintained a network of associates operating in Mexico, Southern California, Washington state, and Canada. Its business model relied on exchanging large quantities of narcotics between international markets, with cocaine obtained through U.S.-based associates in Mexico and MDMA supplied by the Canadian organization.

The cocaine was transported into the Los Angeles area, where it was exchanged for multi-kilogram shipments of MDMA. Additional narcotics, including methamphetamine, were transported from Southern California into Canada for resale or exchanged for other controlled substances and currency.

Washington-based associates played an important role in facilitating transportation between the United States and Canada. The organization used both direct routes and connections through Washington state to move narcotics across the international border.

Joner participated in the Washington-based component of the operation and transported numerous multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine from the Los Angeles region into Canada. His role connected the organization’s Southern California distribution activities with its Canadian trafficking operations.

Federal investigators also determined that members of the organization used encrypted digital communication devices to coordinate their activities. Such technology can complicate criminal investigations because communications may be protected from ordinary interception, requiring investigators to develop evidence through additional investigative techniques.

The FBI has not publicly detailed the specific encryption systems used by the organization or the methods investigators employed to obtain relevant communications. The confirmed investigation nevertheless established the organization’s reliance on encrypted devices as part of its trafficking operations.

Operation Dying Declaration resulted in federal charges against 16 defendants, reflecting the scope of the alleged conspiracy and the number of individuals suspected of participating in different aspects of the network.

The federal investigation involved the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and LAPD. Their cooperation addressed criminal activity extending from local distribution operations in Los Angeles to international narcotics movements involving Mexico and Canada.

The two conspiracy convictions establish Joner’s criminal responsibility for participating in agreements involving cocaine distribution and exportation. Federal drug conspiracy statutes allow prosecutors to pursue individuals who knowingly participate in qualifying trafficking agreements, including those responsible for coordinating or transporting shipments rather than personally conducting retail drug sales.

The exportation conviction is particularly significant because it establishes Joner’s participation in a conspiracy to move cocaine out of the United States. Federal law separately criminalizes agreements to export controlled substances unlawfully, regardless of whether every planned shipment was completed.

As of the October 16 announcement, seven defendants charged in the investigation had been convicted, while nine remained pending prosecution. The distinction reflects the individual procedural status of defendants involved in the broader case. The remaining defendants have not been established as guilty through the announced proceedings.

Lim’s pending extradition represents another unresolved component of the investigation. His prior conviction in Canada is separate from the outstanding U.S. prosecution, and the allegations associated with the federal indictment remain subject to adjudication.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office announcing the latest verdict.

The October 16 FBI announcement did not specify Joner’s sentencing date or final sentencing exposure. Those matters remain subject to subsequent federal court proceedings.

The verdict establishes his guilt on the two federal conspiracy counts, while the prosecution of other defendants and extradition proceedings involving the organization’s suspected leader remain unresolved.

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