Small Plane Emergency Landing Leads to Drug Bust in Oceanside
Published: 7:39 AM PDT September 26, 2024
Updated: 9:31 PM PDT September 26, 2024
Two Oceanside residents, Gabriel Breit, 21, and Troy Smith, 36, found themselves on the wrong side of the law when they were arrested for transporting narcotics after making an emergency landing on State Route 76. The Oceanside Police Department discovered a kilo of cocaine in a backpack discarded by the suspects during the landing.
Oceanside Assistant Police Chief Taurino Valdovinos reported that officers responding to the scene observed one of the individuals tossing the backpack, which contained over two pounds of cocaine, into nearby brush. A search of the plane revealed no additional drugs.
Following the arrest, the case was handed over to the North County Narcotics taskforce, in which Oceanside Police are participating.
The rental plane, which was en route from Phoenix, experienced engine failure, prompting the emergency landing on Canyon Drive in Oceanside. The relationship between Breit and Smith remains unknown, and police confirmed that neither individual had a prior record. The aircraft, identified as a Piper Dakota single-engine plane with a tail number registered to Leadturn LLC, is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Recorded flight data from FlightAware shows the plane departing from Mesa, Arizona, at 11:09 pm MST and was scheduled to land in Oceanside at 2:02 am.
Oceanside Police received a call about the emergency landing on Canyon Drive at 1:43 am. Valdovinos disclosed that Briet contacted authorities to report the engine failure before the landing.
Watch the Oceanside police update on the emergency landing and drug arrests:
The unfolding events revealed a dramatic sequence of events that led to the arrest of Breit and Smith. The discovery of narcotics onboard the plane sparked further investigations, raising questions about the flight’s purpose and the individuals involved.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story as authorities continue to unravel the details surrounding the small plane emergency landing and the subsequent drug bust in Oceanside.
