Largest cocaine seizure in Toronto Police history 'blow to organized crime'

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Toronto Police have stopped the flow of cocaine from Mexico into Canada with its largest seizure ever.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw announced on Tuesday that they had intercepted about 835 kg of the drug with an estimated street value of $83.5 million as part of Project Castillo.

“We know these drugs travelled all the way from Mexico over the United States’ southern border and then made their way here to Canada,” said Demkiw, “where we stopped and seized them.

“I can tell you that getting 835 kg of cocaine off of our streets will make a huge difference for the well-being of our communities.”

The shipments originated in Mexico and travelled northward through the U.S. via transport truck to the Toronto area and are allegedly linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a Mexican crime syndicate.

The investigation started in August and became a multi-jurisdictional operation with Toronto Police, York Regional Police, the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency involved.

Supt. Paul MacIntyre of the organized crime enforcement unit said the biggest single seizure during the probe was 475 kg nabbed at the U.S.-Canada border in a single truck.

“We do believe the cartel is associated to this and we did have some members associated to the cartel overseeing the operation,” said MacIntyre.

“The seizure of this magnitude cannot be underestimated in its significance and represents a blow to organized crime and a meaningful step in protecting the safety and well-being of not only Toronto residents, but communities right across Canada.”

MacIntyre said Project Castillo began after somebody allegedly tried to distribute cocaine in the GTA back in August “through a shipping company” and they then intercepted when it arrived in Canada with the help of the CBSA and RCMP officers in Windsor.

The drug enforcement unit also executed search warrants and arrested “several people (in the GTA) in what we would call ‘stash houses’ with considerable amounts of cocaine.

“The search warrants that we did, I think, got us 360 kg,” said MacIntyre.

Among those charged are Adriana Alexandra Jiron Zeledon, 20, of Markham; Omar Faire, 37, of Mississauga; Marlon Matthews, 45, of Mississauga; Kevin Figueiredo, 32, of Toronto; Jorge Luis Mundo Garcia, 31, of Mexico; and Jimenez Avila Rodolfo, 28, of Mexico. Warrants have also been issued for Alexis Arroya, 31, and Marco Rivera, 31, both of Mexico, and Robert Nolin, 60, of Niagara Falls, on three charges each.

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