That article is quite damning of the relationship between the US Government and Canada in how fairly simple law enforcement issues can be used to make more sweeping political statements- a real flexing of the US' muscles, as it were, or a bit of saber-rattling.
I'm disgusted. That sentence is outrageous. Assuming a guilty verdict, he really should have been let go with fines and probation. This is so transparently political it makes me ill.