Record haul of cocaine linked to notorious cartel seized in Toronto

Authorities in Canada seized $83 million worth of cocaine linked to a notorious Mexican cartel, marking the largest haul of the drug in Toronto’s history, officials announced Tuesday.

The over 835 kilograms of cocaine is alleged to have ties to the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which the Justice Department has described as “one of the world’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations.”

Officers discovered 475 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a truck and the remaining was seized at stash houses, Toronto police said in a news release. Police said the truck and its cargo were part of a larger transnational drug trafficking operation originating in Mexico.

The seized cocaine was part of an ongoing investigation called Project Castillo that started in August. 

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said Tuesday the cocaine was certain to end up in other Canadian regions, from Newfoundland to British Columbia.

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

Officers arrested six people in the investigation, 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 from Niagara Falls.

The Jalisco cartel has produced millions of doses of deadly fentanyl and smuggled them into the United States, often disguised to look like Xanax, Percocet or oxycodone. The pills cause about 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States.