Jerry Turcotte, a Canadian accused of coordinating half-ton shipments of cocaine through San Diego, escaped Monday when he overpowered a jail guard

Jerry Turcotte, a Canadian accused of coordinating half-ton shipments of cocaine through San Diego, escaped Monday when he overpowered and injured a jail guard in Lima, Peru, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Turcotte, a former law enforcement officer, has lived abroad for the past 18 years and speaks French, Spanish and English. He is believed to have ties to Mexico and may be in possession of police credentials. Authorities say he should be considered armed and dangerous. A federal grand jury in San Diego indicted Turcotte on cocaine charges in April. He was arrested by Peruvian authorities in May after being located at his home in Lima. The arrest came several months after DEA agents opened an investigation into a Canadian-based organization accused of smuggling cocaine from South America to Southern California, including San Diego, and then on to Europe and Canada. Turcotte, allegedly a high-ranking member of the ring, is believed to be responsible for coordinating and overseeing the shipments