Mexican nationals arrested in Winnipeg meth, fentanyl bust

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This article was published 28/11/2023 (710 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two Mexican citizens were arrested in an Exchange District drug bust last month that also netted what police believe is the largest counterfeit currency seizure in city history.

Winnipeg Police Service guns and gangs unit investigators executed warrants Oct. 19 on a residence on the 100 block of James Avenue.

Police seized nine kilograms of methamphetamine and 2.1 kg of fentanyl, as well as a loaded handgun and $450,000 of counterfeit cash. Officers also found prescription pills and $50,000 in Canadian currency.

A 27-year-old woman (Ilse Brillette Vazquez Arroyo) and a 27-year-old man (Juan Abad Casimiro Perez) were charged with drug trafficking and firearms possession, among other offences.

Insp. Elton Hall, who commands the WPS organized crime division, said the arrests are significant.

On Tuesday, Hall said police delayed publicly announcing the bust until this week, so detectives could probe whether the two accused are connected to Mexican drug trafficking cartels.

At this point, there is no evidence to suggest such a connection, he said.

“We have consulted with several American police agencies, border patrol and the DEA,” Hall said. “We are continuing to look into this possibility.”

However, Hall believes the bust is connected to organized crime in some fashion.

“These individuals are clearly connected to a large-scale organized crime group, as they are in possession of a large amount of counterfeit money, access to firearms and a staggering amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl.”

Vazquez Arroyo and Casimiro Perez entered the country legally at a Toronto port of entry on six-month visitation visas. The illegal pistol was smuggled into Canada from Texas, police said.

WPS suspect the fentanyl and methamphetamine were manufactured outside of Canada.

It is at this point unclear what exactly the $450,000 in counterfeit cash — which Hall said was to his knowledge the biggest seizure of counterfeit money in WPS history — was intended to be used for.

“We know that organized crime groups will clean money or launder money into Canada,” Hall said, adding police are still investigating the financial aspects of last month’s bust.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca