After a two-year investigation, Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) have executed the largest drug seizure in the province’s history, dismantling a cross-border smuggling network with ties to Mexican cartels.
The operation, called Project Cerberus, was led by ALERT’s Calgary organized crime team with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Calgary Police Service, and multiple RCMP units.
The investigation, which began in May 2023, uncovered a criminal group smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the U.S. and Canada. The drugs were transported across Canada using vehicles equipped with sophisticated hidden compartments.
RCMP Staff Sergeant Matt Pumphrey stated that the group paid up to $50,000 to have custom compartments built into vehicles, showcasing the professional nature and profit-driven ambition of the network.
The operation concluded in September 2025, resulting in charges against five individuals. Authorities seized 157 kilograms of cocaine, 15 firearms, nearly $1 million in cash, and seven vehicles used in the smuggling operation.
Key actions included the seizure of 61 kilograms of cocaine by the Manitoba RCMP Roving Traffic Unit near Reicher, Manitoba, in March 2024, and the recovery of 96 kilograms of cocaine from a house in Houston, Texas, in October 2024 by the DEA. During the Texas raid, Edmonton resident Jack Kaszjenk, 35, was arrested and later sentenced by a U.S. Federal Court to 135 months in prison.
This marks the largest cocaine seizure in ALERT’s history, with a total street value exceeding $15 million.
ALERT confirmed that the drugs were sourced directly from Mexican cartels, and the group played a key role in distributing them across Canada.
During the investigation, police executed 15 search warrants across Calgary, Edmonton, Spruce Grove, and the Greater Toronto Area.
In July 2025, following consultation with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, five Albertans were charged with a total of 31 criminal counts, including conspiracy, participation in organized crime, money laundering, and drug trafficking. All accused have been released on bail, with court appearances scheduled for September and October.