In a bold move to safeguard America’s vital energy resources, a U.S. federal court has sentenced Canadian national Cameron Smith, aged 50, to a hefty 25-year prison term for his orchestrated assaults on crucial U.S. energy infrastructure.
Smith’s misguided attempts at eco-terrorism focused on disrupting an oil pipeline in South Dakota and an electrical substation in North Dakota, resulting in a staggering $1.7 million in damages and causing significant interruptions to essential services.
Last September, Smith admitted guilt to two counts of destroying energy facilities, acknowledging his criminal actions in court.
According to court records, Smith confessed to attacking the Wheelock Substation near Ray, North Dakota, in May 2023, causing over $100,000 in damages to this critical energy supply hub managed by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Moreover, Smith accepted responsibility for severely damaging equipment at the Keystone Pipeline pump station near Carpenter, South Dakota, in July 2022. Utilizing a high-powered rifle, Smith managed to inflict substantial harm on both transformer and pipeline machinery, triggering broad interruptions in electrical services and pipeline operations. The damages from this incident also exceeded $100,000.
Prosecutors effectively demonstrated that Smith’s destructive actions fit the terrorism definition, as they were intended to intimidate or coerce the civilian populace. U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor handed down a 12.5-year consecutive sentence for each offense.
For more details, you can check the far-left AP’s report here:
Cameron Smith, 50, was also ordered Monday to pay more than $2.1 million in restitution, the Bismarck Tribune reported, as well as fines totaling $250,000. He faces deportation after his release.
Prosecutor David Hagler supported the stringent sentence, stating that Smith’s actions were a clear attempt to intimidate or coerce the public.
Smith’s defense attorney, Douglas Passon, argued against the extended sentence, portraying Smith as a highly conscious individual aiming to heighten awareness of climate change, deliberately avoiding harm to individuals.
Smith expressed to the court that his actions were driven by his frustration from years of attempting, through legal means, to raise awareness about climate change. He maintained that he deliberately targeted remote sites to prevent injury to people and advocated for a reduced sentence, citing his autism and Crohn’s disease.
“This is tantamount to a life sentence, and I don’t think that’s right,” Smith remarked, expressing concerns over not receiving adequate medical care while incarcerated. “I won’t survive this,” he lamented.
