Dany Villanueva, arrested in Montreal North raid, charged with drug trafficking
Villanueva, one of 11 people arrested in Thursday's drug bust, will be held in jail until Monday bail hearing
Dany Villanueva, the brother of a man killed by police in 2008, will spend the weekend in jail after he was charged Friday afternoon with drug trafficking and conspiracy.
During Villanueva's brief court appearance, he did not enter a plea.
The 29-year-old will stay behind bars until his bail hearing, which is scheduled for Monday.
- Dany Villanueva will be allowed to stay in Canada
- Dany Villanueva acquitted of armed robbery
- Fredy Villanueva's mother says her son was 'not a thug'
Villanueva was among 11 people arrested in a drug raid in Montreal North on Thursday, according to court documents.
One man was injured during the police sweep and was taken to hospital.
Villanueva's brother, Fredy, was gunned down by a police officer at a Montreal North park in August 2008 – triggering a riot in the neighbourhood in the wake of that shooting.
Risk of reopening deportation case
Dany Villanueva had been facing deportation to his native Honduras after pleading guilty to a 2006 armed robbery.
Just last February, federal Immigration Minister John McCallum granted Villanueva's request for a pre-removal risk assessment, and his deportation was suspended after immigration officials decided that the risk Villanueva would face in Honduras is greater than the risk he poses to Canadian society.
Villanueva's immigration lawyer, Stéphane Handfield, noted that a conviction on any new charges does put Villanueva's immigration status at risk, once again.
"If Mr. Villanueva is found guilty on new charges, the (immigration) minister does have the discretionary power to decide whether or not to revisit that favourable decision," Handfield said Friday.