Army Special Forces Soldier Charged With Smuggling Kilos Of Cocaine On Military Aircraft

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An Army Special Forces soldier was arrested Monday for smuggling 40 kilos of cocaine into the United States hidden in two backpacks aboard a military aircraft, NBC News reported on Friday.

Master Sgt. Daniel Gould was taken into custody by Drug Enforcement Administration agents after two military-issue “punch out” bags somehow connected to him were discovered filled with 40 kilos (90 lbs) of cocaine on a U.S. military aircraft bound for Eglin Air Force Base.

NBC News reports that cocaine was identified after another service member “found the drugs on the plane while it was on the ground in Colombia and reported the discovery.”

Gould, assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin, was already in the United States when the drugs were discovered, according to NBC News, which reported that the Green Beret “used a proxy” to get the bags onto the aircraft.

“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.,” Army Special Operations Command spokesman Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt told NBC News. “We are cooperating fully with law enforcement officials concerning this matter.”

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While conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in the Khaz Oruzgan district of Afghanistan, his team, ODA 7134, was ambushed by anti-Afghan forces. During the ensuing firefight, Pinilla sprinted 75 meters across open terrain into incoming enemy fire to a wounded teammate, Staff Sgt. Daniel Gould, a SF engineer sergeant, who was pinned down. When Pinilla reached his teammate, he dove in front of him, providing his own body as cover for his wounded comrade as he proceeded to suppress the enemy ambush line.

After 10 minutes of returning fire, Pinilla suffered two gunshot wounds and was critically wounded. His teammates fought to return him to safety, all the while Pinilla continued to return fire with his 9-mm Beretta handgun. Due to the severity of his wounds, he was evacuated from the battlefield and eventually to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he began a slow recovery process.

“It’s about trusting the man to your left and right, and knowing that he will do the right thing and watch your back,” he said. “That’s what I was doing for (Gould) and he did the same for me. I wouldn’t be here today if not for him.”

Gould said it was the closeness his team shared that enabled them to risk their lives for each other.

“When you have the camaraderie that we have, the actions become instantaneous,” Gould said. “The cohesion that is built within the team is key.”

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