Dubbed “Project Puma,” the multi-province investigation led by the Winnipeg Police Service resulted in the arrest of 33 people and the seizure of illicit drugs with an estimated street value exceeding $37 million. Among those arrested are suspects alleged to have direct connections to the Hells Angels, the Wolfpack Alliance, and Mexican drug cartels.

Investigation Overview

33
Arrests
$37M+
Drugs Seized
14
Firearms Seized
7
Vehicles Seized

Criminal Network Connections

“Officers identified a core network of individuals with international connections to the upper echelons of organized crime groups in Canada, including the Hells Angels, Wolfpack Alliance and Mexican cartels,” said Winnipeg Police Inspector Josh Ewatski at a press conference Wednesday.

Seized Contraband

Drug Seizures

  • Methamphetamine: 339 kilograms ($16.9 million street value)
  • Cocaine: 175 kilograms ($17.5 million street value)
  • Fentanyl: 11.25 kilograms ($2.7 million street value)

Additional Seizures

  • Firearms: 14 weapons
  • Vehicles: 7
  • Cash: $825,000
  • Illicit Cigarettes: 1.35 million

Supply Chain Operation

According to investigators, the drugs were imported into Canada through commercial transport vehicles and stored primarily in Alberta and Ontario before being moved into Manitoba and northwestern Ontario via mail services, couriers, commercial trucks, and private vehicles equipped with hidden compartments — a supply chain with clear links to the Greater Toronto Area.

Criminal Organizations Involved

Suspects with direct connections to major organized crime groups

Hells Angels, Wolfpack Alliance, Mexican Cartels

Expert Analysis

“The Hells Angels, the Wolfpack Alliance and the cartels — in my opinion, in my experience, those are three very concerning convergences. It’s not just the one, it’s the convergence of the three.”

— Calvin Chrustie, Former RCMP Senior Operations Officer

“Winnipeg is no exception, and Toronto — I mean, that’s just been coming in through border points, by tractor trailers and on an aircraft — actually in the major airports. It’s a huge issue.”

— Former OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis, CTV News Analyst

Former Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Chris Lewis, who serves as a CTV News public safety analyst, underscored the broad geographical reach of the threat. Experts warn the bust could have consequences beyond the courtroom.

Potential Aftermath

“When they realize they are losing $37 million worth of profit and their drugs, they are not going to want to work here again.”

— Sherry Benson-Podolchuk, Retired RCMP Officer

Retaliation Concerns

Retired RCMP officer Sherry Benson-Podolchuk noted that the seizure of $37 million in drugs will be felt by criminal networks, while cautioning that the disruption could trigger retaliatory violence and price spikes in the street drug supply.

Government Response

The federal government last year designated seven transnational criminal organizations — including several based in Mexico — as terrorist entities under Canadian law, a designation that grants law enforcement additional tools to pursue cartel-linked networks operating on Canadian soil.