Annual Report 2025-26
This year, ALERT's reach extended from rural Alberta to international cartel networks — dismantling some of the most complex organized crime operations in the province's history, seizing record quantities of drugs, and confronting unprecedented child exploitation and human trafficking alongside partners from across Canada and the world. Our results this year reflect the growing sophistication of serious and organized crime in Alberta and the irreplaceable value of ALERT's integrated law enforcement model.
Executive Statement
Our government has no higher priority than protecting Albertans and keeping our communities safe. Through Budget 2026, Alberta is providing $56.3 million in funding for ALERT, ensuring its elite tactical and investigative teams have the tools, resources, and specialized capabilities they need to stay ahead of organized crime and take deadly drugs off our streets.
– Hon. Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety
While drugs remain the main commodity of organized crime, over the two decades ALERT teams have also expanded to tackle human trafficking, firearms offences, child exploitation, auto crimes, money laundering, and cybercrimes. Last year alone our specialized teams arrested 323 offenders and laid 1,452 charges in relation to those criminal markets.
– A/Supt. Thomas Graham, ALERT CEO
323
Suspects charged in ALERT investigations across all teams/units this year
1,452
Criminal charges laid by ALERT against suspects across all teams' investigations
$6,365,688
Estimated street value of drugs seized by our Combined Forces Special Enforcement teams
85
Firearms seized from violent offenders throughout our investigations and as a result of proactive enforcement
398
Child rescues, victim interventions, and victim supports by ALERT across Internet Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking teams
5,695
File intakes across our north and south Internet Child Exploitation Teams (self-generated and referred from external agencies)
PARTNERS & GOVERNANCE
ALERT was established by the provincial government in 2006 to bring together the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources to combat organized and serious crime. Integrated teams specialize in the areas of organized crime and gangs, online child exploitation, criminal intelligence, and law enforcement training. Over 300 police and civilian staff work together, and are based in eight communities across the province.
ALERT’s co-operative approach to policing has proven to be an extremely successful model, especially as the criminal landscape evolves and pushes beyond local and regional boundaries. ALERT is a non-profit agency that is governed by a Board of Directors and an appointed Chief Executive Officer. This unique designation allows ALERT to remain at arm’s length from the provincial government.
ALERT enforcement teams have surpassed the milestone of $1 billion in drugs seized – since the organization’s inception in 2006. This number represents countless lives spared from the debilitating effects of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and thousands of drug dealers put in jail and held accountable for poisoning our communities.
$1 Billion in seized
drugs since 2006
ALERT teams have accomplished some of the province’s largest drug seizures during this time. This also includes record seizures at time of occurrence in cocaine (157 kilograms in September 2025), fentanyl pills (250,000 in November 2019), fentanyl powder (31 kilograms in July 2021), heroin (14 kilograms in June 2014), methamphetamine (28 kilograms in November 2017), hashish (30 kilograms in October 2014), GHB (113 litres in May 2021), cannabis grow-operations (6,500 plants in August 2010), and steroids ($9.3 million in October 2014).
Join us through some of ALERT’s significant projects in history below.
Disrupting Organized Crime
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) is at the forefront of Alberta’s commitment to disrupting organized crime. This year, ALERT’s organized crime teams dismantled a cartel-connected cocaine network in one of the largest drug seizures in Alberta history, unravelled a money laundering operation that saw more than $2.5 million in criminal assets restrained, and recorded Lethbridge’s largest-ever fentanyl seizure – all while shutting down a Medicine Hat home being used to alter and strengthen fentanyl before it reached the street.
$6,365,688
Estimated street value of drugs seized by ALERT's Combined Forces Special Enforcement units (2025-26)
$1,185,429
Cash proceeds of crime seized by ALERT's Combined Forces Special Enforcement units (2025-26)
642
Charges laid in organized crime investigations by ALERT's Combined Forces Special Enforcement units (2025-26)
Our integrated teams continue to tackle serious and organized crime by bringing together multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Alberta Sheriffs, and each of Alberta’s municipal police services. Organized crime is a sophisticated enterprise that spans jurisdictions and ignores the confines of borders – ALERT’s integrated model, made possible by the Government of Alberta, exists to meet that threat wherever it operates and dismantle the harms and violence rooted in the illicit drug trade.
Project Glacier
A two-year investigation dismantling a drug trafficking network operating throughout Grande Prairie and surrounding communities. Six suspects were charged with 22 combined offences including drug trafficking, participation in a criminal organization, and conspiracy. Firearms, cocaine, illicit opioid pills, and illegal steroids were among items seized.
Project FAST
An ALERT Fort McMurray investigation that traced a local drug trafficking network from Fort McMurray through Edmonton to B.C.'s Lower Mainland. The two-year investigation resulted in eight suspects charged, more than $500,000 in drugs and cash seized, and five firearms removed from the streets of Alberta.
Project Leadline
A two-year investigation led by ALERT Lethbridge dismantled an extensive cocaine trafficking network also involved in money laundering. Nine suspects were charged with a combined 63 offences including participation in a criminal organization, conspiracy, drug trafficking, and money laundering. More than $2.5 million in assets linked to drug proceeds were restrained.
No Data Found
No Data Found
Suspects Charged
No Data Found
Charges Laid
No Data Found
UPDATE: Minh Hoang Nguyen was sentenced to 7 years, 3 months in prison for his role in ALERT’s Project Carlos.
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) April 28, 2026
The Calgary man was arrested in August 2023. Here is the news release from that time: https://t.co/wUNsJrvpBI pic.twitter.com/GlhEIg4x7i
UPDATE: Charges have now been laid in relation to a major methamphetamine seizure that took place almost a year ago. https://t.co/N2MmkiwXxV pic.twitter.com/5Nwx3num3Y
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) March 26, 2026
Drug endangerment act charges have been laid against a suspected Fort McMurray mother who allegedly exposed her child to drug trafficking activity.
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) November 20, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/WcLwi2HhqR
Chad and Christopher Loyie were sentenced this week to 11.5 years for their roles in a large-scale fentanyl production and trafficking operation, dubbed Project Essence, which was dismantled in July 2021. pic.twitter.com/HJkDGBfEbt
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) October 2, 2025
PROJECT CERBERUS
Following an extensive two-year investigation, ALERT has dismantled a cross-border drug trafficking network and has made one of the largest drug seizures in Alberta history. Beginning in May 2023, the investigation uncovered an organized crime group that was involved in extensive cross-border drug trafficking between Canada and the United States, and had established ties to Mexican cartel(s).
Project Cerberus involved upwards of 450 investigators and civilian staff, representing the following agencies: Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, CFSEU-British Columbia, Greater Toronto Area CFSEU, Halton Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), DEA Vancouver Resident Office, DEA Houston Division, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA), Houston Police Department, Service Alberta, and various units within the RCMP including: Federal Serious and Organized Crime, International Special Services, Integrated Border Enforcement Team, Kamloops, Manitoba Highway Patrol, B.C. Highway Patrol, Cochrane, Didsbury, Chestermere, Okotoks, Lloydminster, St. Albert, and Maidstone, Sask.
Taking guns off the street
Illegal firearms are a key component of organized crime’s infrastructure. When used by criminal networks, they protect drug lines, enforce gang territory, and are increasingly traded as a commodity themselves – making their removal from Alberta’s streets one of our most direct contributions to public safety in the province. This year, ALERT seized firearms used by drug traffickers in every region of the province, dismantled an illegal firearms trafficking operation involving 18 weapons allegedly being sold online by a Lloydminster-area teen, and continued to deliver forensic firearms analysis through the Provincial Firearms Solutions Lab: an Alberta-led countermeasure to gun violence, linking weapons to crimes and securing evidence that convicts.
85
Firearms seized by ALERT's Combined Forces Special Enforcement units (2025-26)
1,147
Firearm examinations completed by the Provincial Firearms Solutions Lab (2025-26)
56
Firearm serial numbers restored by the Provincial Firearms Solutions Lab (2025-26)
Our integrated teams tackle firearms-related crime through intelligence, enforcement, and forensic analysis – capabilities that, when combined, enable the disruption of criminal networks and ensure impactful court results. Illegal firearms do not stay in one community: they move with organized crime, cross jurisdictions, and end up in the hands of dangerous offenders. ALERT’s outcomes this year reflect our adaptable and nimble approach to match this reality.
LLOYDMINSTER TRAFFICKING
ALERT's Lloydminster organized crime team seized 18 firearms – including some believed to be stolen – from a rural property near Marwayne. An 18-year-old suspect was charged with firearms trafficking after allegedly attempting to sell the weapons online. Several firearms had their serial numbers removed.
Calgary Drugs & Firearms
ALERT Calgary's organized crime team seized three loaded handguns alongside an estimated $320,000 worth of cocaine and methamphetamine from a southeast Calgary apartment. Two of the handguns were previously reported stolen. The firearms were submitted to ALERT's Provincial Firearms Lab for ballistics analysis. One Calgary man was arrested.
Firearm Seizures
No Data Found
Gang/Organized Crime Related Homicide Rate[3][4]
No Data Found
ALERT helped with the arrest of the 22-year-old suspect in Calgary. Jaskarn Singh was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm. https://t.co/6cRICahM5d
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) March 31, 2026
Drugs and firearms have been seized following the search of a problem home in Lethbridge. ALERT has also charged seven people accused of drug trafficking.
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) October 14, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/mJNtPgC90A
Two people have been charged after ALERT seized fentanyl and a firearm with help from @gppoliceservice and @RCMPAlberta.
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) October 23, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/qkQbLM8yeZ
The most dangerous gang is often the one you choose to be part of. ALERT launched a campaign where dark humor meets harsh reality. This campaign educated Albertans on the realities of violence, drugs, firearms, extortion, and more.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit is one of the most prolific and sophisticated child exploitation investigative teams in Canada. In 2025-26, ALERT confronted a surge in cases involving artificial intelligence as a tool for creating and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), while continuing to respond to an extraordinary volume of case file intakes and international referrals. Our work this year reflects our continued commitment to seeking out and apprehending offenders in positions of trust, those distributing the most significant illegal material, and those with direct access to vulnerable children.
5,695
Case File Intakes
(2025-26)
111
Children Rescued
(2025-26)
1,894
Exhibits Seized
(2025-26)
119
Suspects Charged
(2025-26)
596
Charges Laid
(2025-26)
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) refers to images or videos that document the sexual abuse of children. Every piece of CSAM represents a real child who has been victimized. ALERT ICE investigators and forensic examiners are among the most dedicated and resilient members of law enforcement, reviewing these materials as part of their daily work – a demanding and critically important task that has identified, rescued, and protected hundreds of children and youth.
Football coach uses AI
A coach with the Lethbridge Rams and Football Alberta U18 women's teams was charged with making, distributing, possessing, and accessing child pornography after an ALERT investigation found he had allegedly used artificial intelligence to manipulate and sexualize photos of underage girls. Tillery was also charged with transmitting an intimate image without consent. Our team worked to identify potential victims.
Operation ICE STORM
ICE Storm targeted high-level suspects sharing and distributing vast and graphic collections of CSAM via peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Seven arrests were made between June and August 2025. More than 40 computers and devices were seized; forensic analysis uncovered over 405,000 images and 11,000 videos of child sexual abuse material.
23 luring victims
ALERT arrested one individual following a Cybertip report of alleged luring of teen girls in the Edmonton area. Initial forensic analysis identified six victims. Following a public appeal and further analysis, 23 victims were ultimately identified — nearly all young teen girls from the Leduc area. Fergusson faced a combined 113 charges, including making child pornography, sexual assault, choking while committing a sexual assault, and more.
File Intakes
No Data Found
Suspects Charged
No Data Found
Charges Laid
No Data Found
Child Sexual Abuse Material
No Data Found
Exhibit Seizures (Devices)
No Data Found
Children Rescued by ALERT
No Data Found
Red Deer man sentenced to 17 years and six months in U.S. federal prison. https://t.co/pKjalGRPqq
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) March 26, 2026
ICYMI: S/Sgt. Alison Church with our ICE unit spoke with @ctvedmonton https://t.co/fq6621RjEO
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) December 19, 2025
ICYMI: Police pitch ways for parents to help keep kids safe as AI porn threat grows
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) December 11, 2025
Read more via @CdnPressNews https://t.co/OQ99d1o6Qq
"Like any investigation we have, parents need to be talking to their kids. And if there is anything that [...] kind of raises the hair on the back of your neck, that those parents should explore that," said S/Sgt. Alison Church.
— ALERT (@ALERT_AB) December 11, 2025
Read: https://t.co/a1OGa9dXh9
Stopping Human Trafficking
Human trafficking – in the form of sex trafficking – is a violent crime that systematically exploits vulnerable individuals through manipulation, coercion, and control. Traffickers often build false relationships before revealing their intent, targeting people experiencing a variety of life challenges. Alberta is not immune. ALERT’s Human Trafficking & Counter Exploitation unit, working in collaboration with Safety Network Coordinators embedded within investigation teams, identifies victims, arrests perpetrators, and connects survivors with the support they need.
63
Victim Interventions
(2025-26)
224
Victim Supports
(2025-26)
73
Suspects Charged
(2025-26)
159
Charges Laid
(2025-26)
A recurring pattern that continued into 2025-26 was the interprovincial and migratory nature of human trafficking suspects: some cases involved suspects who had relocated from outside the province – suggesting that Alberta communities are targeted both by local networks and mobile offenders moving along established trafficking corridors. ALERT’s integrated model, made possible by the Government of Alberta, connects provincial and federal partners to identify and apprehend these criminals that exploit vulnerable persons.
Calgary suspect charged
ALERT charged Neylson Benoit-Ancion, 33, a Montreal man, with trafficking persons and obtaining material benefit from sexual services. Two victims were identified, with additional victims suspected. The investigation reflects a pattern of cross-country exploitation consistent with organized trafficking activity. ALERT is asking additional victims to come forward.
Prolific Trafficker arrested
Xavier Hebert, 22, was arrested by ALERT’s Human Trafficking unit in Calgary for suspected drug and human trafficking offences. Hebert had recently relocated to Calgary after serving a prison sentence in Quebec for human trafficking offences dating to 2021. Two suspected victims were identified and provided with support resources through ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinator.
Suspects Charged
No Data Found
Charges Laid
No Data Found
Victim Interventions
No Data Found
Intelligence & Expertise
ALERT’s effectiveness extends beyond its investigative teams. Through the Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta, the ALERT Training unit, and specialized enforcement teams, ALERT supports the broader law enforcement ecosystem with intelligence products, specialized training, and uniformed gang enforcement.
In May 2025, the third edition of the Firearms Investigations and Prosecutions Conference was held in Canmore, Alberta. There was a total of 175 attendees, representing 27 agencies including prosecutors, police officers, government officials and forensic experts. The conference featured presentations capturing Alberta’s best practices, as well as international success stories in combatting firearms offences.
In September 2025, Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta’s pharmacologist spoke with the media to deliver a warning about the rise of carfentanil-related deaths in the province. Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System reported that 88% of the province’s carfentanil-related deaths took place in the Edmonton area.
Overall StatisticS Summary
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File Intakes | 1,186 | 1,833 | 1,147 | 1,529 | 5,695 | 5,871 | 3,815 |
| Suspects Charged | 33 | 27 | 33 | 26 | 119 | 135 | 109 |
| Charges Laid | 135 | 96 | 232 | 133 | 596 | 577 | 415 |
| Children Rescued | 46 | 23 | 28 | 14 | 111 | 178 | 203 |
| Exhibits Seized | 563 | 437 | 518 | 376 | 1,894 | 1,831 | 1,724 |
| Total Photos / Videos | 64,811 | 83,281 | 458,381 | 15,677 | 622,150 | 1,654,025 | 2,754,097 |
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspects Charged | 16 | 44 | 5 | 8 | 73 | 55 | 34 |
| Charges Laid | 41 | 60 | 22 | 36 | 159 | 117 | 231 |
| Victim Interventions | 43 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 63 | 268 | 113 |
| Victim Supports | 61 | 146 | 7 | 10 | 224 | 285 | – |
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Reports | 416 | 333 | 360 | 319 | 1,428 | 1,253 | 1,474 |
| Training Courses | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 30 | 27 |
| Candidates Trained | 433 | 102 | 73 | 12 | 620 | 952 | 862 |
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspects Charged | 42 | 22 | 31 | 28 | 123 | 123 | 141 |
| Charges Laid | 206 | 119 | 162 | 155 | 642 | 621 | 800 |
| Firearms Seized | 31 | 14 | 8 | 32 | 85 | 125 | 232 |
| Est. Value of Drugs Seized | $2,157,562 | $609,599 | $911,623 | $2,686,903 | $6,365,688 | $9,981,568 | $5,334,163 |
| Proceeds of Crime Seized | $269,947 | $104,330 | $127,173 | $683,979 | $1,185,429 | $1,895,238 | $632,294 |
| Arrests | Charges | Firearms | Drugs | Proceeds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | 19 | 113 | 6 | $885,306 | $150,233 |
| Edmonton | 21 | 131 | 18 | $3,128,201 | $615,338 |
| Fort McMurray | 20 | 87 | 10 | $427,538 | $56,505 |
| Grande Prairie | 5 | 23 | 4 | $312,550 | $36,560 |
| Lethbridge | 20 | 105 | 6 | $279,508 | $35,241 |
| Lloydminster | 13 | 65 | 22 | $226,127 | $2,815 |
| Medicine Hat | 15 | 84 | 11 | $749,674 | $77,253 |
| Red Deer | 10 | 34 | 8 | $356,784 | $211,484 |
| Annual Totals | 123 | 642 | 85 | $6,365,688 | $1,185,429 |
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspects Charged | – | 6 | 2 | – | 8 | 15 | 2 |
| Charges Laid | – | 55 | – | – | 55 | 92 | – |
| Stolen Vehicles | – | – | – | 36 | 36 | 24 | 45 |
| Recovered Assets | $618,628 | $513,000 | $1,320,000 | $353,000 | $1,251,628 | $3,284,250 | $2,741,025 |
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firearms Examinations | 277 | 249 | 300 | 321 | 1,147 | 1,048 | 1,178 |
| Exhibit Examinations | 1,284 | 1,263 | 1,599 | 1,634 | 5,780 | 5,009 | 4,715 |
| Serial Number Restorations | 18 | 20 | – | 18 | 56 | 67 | 108 |
| IBIS Submissions | 346 | 359 | 396 | 378 | 1,479 | 1,489 | 2,402 |
[1] – ALERT historical drug seizures only date back to 2022-23 in this report to exclude an over $300,000,000 outlier in the 2021-22 year that would otherwise distort the average drug seizure in estimated street value year over year.
[2] – “Other” is the cumulative estimated street value of all other drugs (not listed) seized by ALERT in the reporting period: buffing agent, Cannabis (and derivatives or shatter), contraband Tobacco, GHB, Heroin, illicit prescription drugs, Ketamine, LSD, MDMA (Ecstasy), Oxycodone and Psilocybin (mushrooms).
[3] –Statistics Canada: Number, percentage and rate of gang-related homicide victims. Learn more.
[4] – Data provided by outside agency. ALERT takes no responsibility for accuracy/reliability of data. Data is included to illustrate trends, not to reflect specific occurrences. Reporting limitations: it may not be appropriate to extrapolate data as representative to explain criminal activity prevalence, as true figures may in fact be lower or higher.
