Pilot Arraigned in Drug Import Case

A pilot who landed a plane at Santa Paula Airport that authorities say was loaded with dozens of kilos of cocaine was arraigned Monday in a Los Angeles federal courtroom.

Daniel Wesley Allen, 52, pleaded not guilty to charges of importing 250 kilos of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and use of a firearm in the course of a drug-trafficking offense, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Samantha Phillips. A trial date has been set for Oct. 13.

U.S. Customs Service agents and officers from the Santa Paula Police Department arrested Allen on Aug. 12 after a customs plane followed his Cessna 320 once it crossed the Mexico border into California. Allen had been flying at a low altitude, perhaps to avoid radar, officials said. He landed his plane in Santa Paula because it was low on fuel.

Inside the plane authorities used a pair of narcotics-sniffing dogs to locate 14 duffel bags containing nearly 600 pounds of high-grade cocaine, authorities said. Officials said they also found a .22-caliber revolver in Allen’s pants pocket and a loaded .38-caliber semiautomatic handgun and a loaded Glock 9-millimeter pistol in the plane.