Canadian authorities have seized $83 million worth of cocaine linked to a notorious Mexican cartel, marking the largest drug haul in Toronto's history, officials said Tuesday.
More than 835 kilograms of cocaine are believed to have ties to the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which The Ministry of Justice described as “one of the most vicious and prolific drug trafficking organizations in the world.”
Toronto police said officers found 475 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the truck, and the rest was seized in secret homes. news release. Police said the truck and its cargo were part of a larger transnational drug-trafficking operation originating in Mexico.
The cocaine seized was part of an ongoing investigation called Project Castillo that began in August.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiu said Tuesday Cocaine would definitely end up in other parts of Canada, from Newfoundland to British Columbia.
Kevin Masterman via Toronto Police Service
“I can tell you that taking 835 kilograms of cocaine off our streets will make a huge difference to the well-being of our communities,” Demkiu said.
As part of the investigation, officers arrested six people, including two Mexican nationals who entered Canada legally, and four Canadians.
Arrest warrants have been issued for three other suspects: two Mexican nationals and a 60-year-old Canadian man from Niagara Falls.
Jalisco cartel produced millions of doses of lethal fentanyl and smuggled them into the United States, often disguised as Xanax, Percocet or oxycodone.The pills cause approx 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States.
