Alouettes gathering info following arrest of receiver with over 70 kg of marijuana

The Montreal Alouettes say they are in the process of gathering information after the arrest of wide receiver Quan Bray.

U.S. federal agents say they found 71.21 kilograms of marijuana in a rented vehicle in which Bray, NFL offensive tackle Greg Robinson and another person were riding.

The Associated Press reported that Robinson, 27, of Thibodeaux, La., and Bray, 26, of La Grange, Ga., were in the El Paso County Detention Center after federal authorities charged them with conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute it. Both were held without bond pending an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge.

If convicted, both could be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal prison. It was unclear from jail and federal court records if they had lawyers.

'We plan to make a definitive decision'

"The Montreal Alouettes have been made aware about Quan Bray's arrest last night, and the circumstances under which it happened," the CFL team said in a statement Thursday. "We are in the process of gathering as much information as possible as we take this matter very seriously. We plan to make a definitive decision as soon as possible."

According to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Robinson, Bray and an unidentified third person were driving from Los Angeles to Louisiana in a rented sport utility vehicle on Interstate 10 through a remote section of West Texas. When they passed a Border Patrol agent with a drug-sniffing dog, the dog detected the scent of marijuana. The agent radioed ahead to the patrol's checkpoint in near Sierra Blanca, Texas, 134 kilometres southeast of El Paso.

There, the patrol stopped and inspected the vehicle, finding several large duffel bags containing vacuum-sealed black bags containing what tested positive as marijuana, the complaint stated. Also found were glass jars and packaging equipment, along with US$3,100 in cash.

Agents said the unidentified passenger was an Uber driver who also drove and ran errands for Robinson and his family and friends. The passenger showed agents cellphone texts that showed Robinson had offered to pay the passenger to claim ownership of the marijuana, according to the complaint. The texts showed the passenger, who is a legally resident immigrant but not a U.S. citizen, refused and would not have made the trip if aware of the drugs in the vehicle. The person was not charged.

Strong rookie season

Bray played 15 games for the Alouettes last season had 818 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He added 58 yards on two receptions in Montreal's 37-29 loss to Edmonton in the Eastern semifinal.

Robinson, a former Auburn University standout was drafted second overall in 2014, by the St. Louis Rams. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2018. The Browns recently informed Robinson's representatives they did not intend to re-sign him as a free agent.

Robinson battled inconsistency while starting 14 games last season for the Browns, who had a disappointing 6-10 season. He was benched for one game and missed another with a concussion.