The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) have disrupted a cross-border drug operation linked to Mexican cartels and confiscated what they describe as their largest-ever cocaine seizure. This operation, named Project Cerberus after the mythological three-headed hound guarding the underworld, spanned two years starting in May 2023 and involved collaboration with the RCMP, Calgary police, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, concluding recently.
ALERT revealed that the drug network sourced cocaine from Mexican cartels, transported it through the United States, and then distributed it across Canada from British Columbia to Ontario. Five individuals from Alberta, two from Calgary and three from Edmonton, have been apprehended and are facing a total of 31 charges related to organized crime, drug offenses, money laundering, and conspiracy.
One additional suspect from Edmonton, initially detained in October 2024 after authorities found 96 kilograms of cocaine in a Houston residence, was involved in transporting the drugs through the U.S. to Canada. He has been sentenced to over 11 years in a U.S. federal penitentiary.
Aside from the arrests, law enforcement officials seized 157 kilograms of cocaine with a purity level of 96-98%, estimated to be worth over $15 million on the streets. Additionally, authorities confiscated 15 firearms, close to one million dollars in cash, and seven vehicles equipped with hidden compartments used for smuggling, similar to the one discovered in a Kia Sorento.
The first batch of cocaine was found concealed in a compartment by Manitoba RCMP, containing 61 kilograms of the drug near Richer, Man., in March 2024. Sgt. Matt Pumphrey, an RCMP officer with Calgary ALERT, highlighted the sophisticated hydraulic system used to operate these compartments as a significant discovery during the investigation.
According to Kelly Sundberg, a former Canada Border Services Agency officer and current criminology professor at Mount Royal University, concealing drugs in vehicle compartments is a common tactic, emphasizing the need for continuous availability of detection tools at all border crossings to combat such activities.
Temitope Oriola, a criminology professor at the University of Alberta, commended the enforcement efforts but cautioned that criminal networks are adaptable and may persist despite such operations. He praised the joint efforts of law enforcement agencies in Canada and the U.S. while emphasizing the persistent nature of organized crime syndicates.
