Organized crime investigators in British Columbia say a 32-year-old man has been arrested for his role in an operation that allegedly sent fentanyl from Vancouver to the United States.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit said in a statement Friday that Jordan Treleaven faces seven charges, including trafficking and unlawful export of fentanyl and methamphetamine, and possession of a prohibited firearm.
The statement said investigators began looking into a suspect in February who was believed to be importing illegal guns into Canada.
A search warrant in Vancouver turned up a gun and around 600 grams of fentanyl, and investigators later found out that four shipments of fentanyl from Vancouver, totalling around 1,500 grams, had been intercepted by United States Customs and Border Protection.
The statement said Canadian prosecutors approved the charges on May 20, and Treleaven was arrested in Alberta on Thursday by RCMP.
B.C. gang police say the gun investigation that spurred the search warrant “remains ongoing and involves a separate suspect.”
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The unit’s chief officer Manny Mann said the investigation disrupted a cross-border drug trafficking operation while fentanyl “continues to cause significant harm to our communities.”
Stephen Maloney with U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in the statement that the interception of the drugs and gun “underscores the critical importance of international collaboration and partnerships in keeping our communities safe.”
Maloney said information-sharing between U.S. and Canadian border guards and gang police showed how cross-border criminal activities can be disrupted through agencies co-operating.
Magdalena Sigur, a Homeland Security official with the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, said transnational fentanyl traffickers are a priority for her agency.
“We will continue to work with our Canadian law enforcement partners to dismantle organized criminal groups that threaten our safety and security,” Sigur said.
Tariffs imposed by the U.S. in the trade war with Canada have been justified by U.S. President Donald Trump in part by claims about fentanyl being smuggled over the border, although Canadian authorities have suggested the problem is exaggerated.
Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that fentanyl seizures at the Canada-U.S. border represented less than 0.1 percent of the total seized between 2022 and 2024.
