Denis “Sasquatch” Barthe of local metal-monsters Cradle to Grave was handcuffed at gunpoint by five U.S. border guards on August 23, held for five hours, then returned to Canada in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle.

The guitarist was attempting to enter the U.S. at the Pacific Highway border crossing with a valid P-2 work visa for a six-date tour of the States, but was scuppered by discrepancies between paperwork and the band’s schedule.

Barthe told the Straight, “The P-2 work visa needs to be submitted four months prior to your tour. Along the way, a venue might change, and there’s no way to make an adjustment to the paperwork.”

But Barthe suspects his treatment was due to an 18-year-old possession charge, though he was pardoned in 2001. “They hold your head down and ask you questions, like ‘Why do you have an accent? Are you from France?’ I’m like, ‘No, no. Quebec. Eastern Canada.’ I said ‘I’m more than happy to go back home right now.’”

Barthe’s bandmates were later refused entry at the Peace Arch.