ALERT dismantles cross-border drug network in historic cocaine bust
Posted Sep 17, 2025 9:20 am.
Last Updated Sep 17, 2025 7:30 pm.
A two-year investigation led by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) has led to one of the largest drug seizures in the province’s history, dismantling a cross-border trafficking network with alleged ties to Mexican cartels.
Dubbed Project Cerberus, the operation was spearheaded by ALERT Calgary’s organized crime team. It involved a collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Calgary Police Service, and multiple RCMP units.
The investigation, which began in May 2023, uncovered a criminal organization responsible for smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States and Canada. The drugs were then distributed across Canada using vehicles with hidden compartments.
“Our information suggests that the organized crime group was paying upwards of $50,000 to have these hidden compartments installed, and this speaks to the sophistication of their operation and profit motive,” says RCMP Staff Sgt. Matt Pumphrey.
The operation concluded in September 2025 with charges laid against five people. In total, authorities seized 157 kilograms of cocaine, 15 guns, nearly $1 million in cash, and seven vehicles used for smuggling.
Key seizures during the investigation include in March 2024 when the Manitoba Roving Traffic Unit near Richer, Manitoba intercepted 61 kilograms of cocaine.
The DEA seized 96 kilograms of cocaine from a stash house in Houston, Texas, in October 2024. A Canadian man, Jack Kasjaniuk, 35, of Edmonton, was arrested and later sentenced to 135 months in U.S. federal prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges.
It marks ALERT’s largest cocaine seizure ever, with the total amount of drugs seized having a street value of more than $15 million.
The cocaine was allegedly sourced directly from Mexican cartels. ALERT believes the group played a central role in importing and distributing the drugs across Canada.
“The group was transporting these drugs across Canada, from B.C to Ontario,” says Pumphrey. “Where it was spread out from there, I don’t think any community would’ve been immune from the reach of where this cocaine would’ve ended up.”
Investigators executed 15 search warrants across Canada over the length of the investigation, targeting homes in Calgary, Edmonton, Spruce Grove, and the Greater Toronto Area.
In July 2025, following consultation with Public Prosecution Services Canada, charges were laid against five Albertans who are all allegedly high-ranking members of the crime group:
- Reza Muhammad, 26, Calgary
- Jordan Plamondon, 40, Spruce Grove
- Ji Hwan Kim, 34, Calgary
- Allan Leung, 33, Edmonton
- James Morrissette, 33, Edmonton
The group faces a total of 31 criminal charges, including conspiracy, organized crime offences, money laundering, and drug trafficking. All five have been released and are scheduled to appear in court in September and early October.
