Thirty-three people have been arrested and more than $37.2 million worth of cocaine, meth and fentanyl was seized, making it the largest drug bust in Manitoba history. People associated with Hells Angels, Wolfpack Alliance and Mexican cartel were arrested.
Thirty-three people have been arrested and more than $37.2 million worth of cocaine, meth and fentanyl was seized in what Winnipeg police are calling the largest drug bust in Manitoba history.
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Winnipeg police Insp.
Josh Ewatski speaks at a news conference in Winnipeg on Wednesday, where police announced what they say is the largest drug bust in Manitoba history.
Among those arrested are people associated with the upper echelon of organized crime in Canada, including the Hells Angels, Wolfpack Alliance and Mexican cartel, police allege. Collectively, they are charged with 174 criminal offences related to drug trafficking, proceeds of crime and conspiracy, Winnipeg police said during a Wednesday news conference. Investigators also seized 14 guns , approximately $825,000 in cash and 1.35 million illegal cigarettes.
In all, more than 525 kilograms of controlled substances were seized, police say. Along with an undisclosed quantity of pills, marijuana and cannabis derivatives, police seized:175 kilograms of cocaine . The interprovincial investigation, nicknamed Project Puma, was launched in May 2024 to target an organized network of people importing large quantities of drugs into Winnipeg, police said. The drugs were then distributed throughout Manitoba and into northwestern Ontario.
Bags of illicit drugs displayed by police at a Wednesday news conference. Police say more than 525 kilograms of controlled substances were seized as part of an interprovincial investigation nicknamed Project Puma. Winnipeg police Insp. Josh Ewatski said the drugs were imported from the U.S. inside commercial transport trucks, then warehoused primarily in Alberta and Ontario.
From there, the drugs were transported into Manitoba "through various methods, including mail and courier services, commercial transport vehicles, and private vehicles equipped with hidden compartments," he said. Multiple drug trafficking cells were operating under a single umbrella organization believed to be sourcing controlled substances from a national-level supplier, Ewatski said, though he wouldn't name the organization or supplier.
"A lot of this investigation and the charges that were laid are still before the courts, so I can’t comment too deeply on specific groups," he said. Seven of the people arrested have pleaded guilty and been given sentences ranging from three to 16 years, he said. Asked if those arrested are actual members of the Hells Angels, Wolfpack Alliance or Mexican cartel, Ewatski would only say they are "associated to those groups.
"The bust of the network "sends a very clear message that organized crime will not operate unchecked in this province," Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said at the news conference. Homicides, gun and gang violence, exploitation, property crime, and retail theft are all directly linked to and affected by the drug trade, Winnipeg police Deputy Chief Cam Mackid said.
"You can follow the path of wreckage right down to the nuisance crimes — the car thefts, the broken windows and general social disorder," he said, adding the effects extend to burdens on the health care, social services and justice systems. Winnipeg police Deputy Chief Cam Mackid says the effects of the drug trade are far-reaching, ranging from car thefts to 'general social disorder.
' "We all see the crippling impact of the drug trade on a daily basis," he said, including on individuals in the form of addiction and overdoses. "We see the devastation brought upon the families and loved ones. And we see neighbourhoods living in fear because they have the misfortune of living within the blast radius of the drug house down the street," said Mackid.
"And this ecosystem of chaos is dependent on one thing: the constant supply and distribution of massive amounts of drugs into our community. "Manitoba should declare public health emergency amid spike in drug-related deaths, groups say The investigation included the collaboration of numerous agencies, Winnipeg police said, including the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada , Ontario Provincial Police, and police agencies in Alberta and Toronto. Manitoba police services in Winkler, Brandon and Morden were also involved.
"Criminal networks no longer operate in silos," Ewatski said. "They collaborate with rivals, operate across jurisdictions, adapt quickly and rely on complex supply chains, making it impossible for any single agency to combat this threat on their own.
" In addition to the 33 arrests as part of the investigation, Ontario Provincial Police officers in Fort Frances and Dryden arrested four other people in October and November 2025, resulting in the seizure of another 26 kilograms of cocaine, said OPP Det. -Insp. Andy Bradford. Those arrests came independently of Project Puma, but turned out to be connected to that investigation, he said.
Darren Bernhardt has been with CBC Manitoba since 2009 and specializes in offbeat and local history stories. He is the author of two bestselling books: The Lesser Known: A History of Oddities from the Heart of the Continent, and Prairie Oddities: Punkinhead, Peculiar Gravity and More Lesser Known Histories. Police put dent in Manitoba cocaine, gun trafficking ring
Police Winnipeg Drug Bust Largest Drug Bust In Manitoba History Cocaine Meth Fentanyl Organized Crime In Canada Hells Angels Wolfpack Alliance Mexican Cartel Project Puma Interprovincial Investigation 174 Criminal Offences Drug Trafficking Proceeds Of Crime Conspiracy Drug House Drug Trade
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