$83M cocaine bust largest ever in Toronto, Ontario; 2 Mississauga men among 6 arrested

Two Mississauga men are among six people charged in an $83-million cocaine bust Toronto Police say is the largest in their history and one that appears to be tied to a notorious Mexican drug cartel.

In addition to the arrests, and other details of the lengthy police drug probe announced by investigators at a Tuesday afternoon press conference in Toronto, three more suspects are being hunted by police.

One of those sought by authorities is a Niagara Falls man while the other two are from Mexico and believed to have possibly fled Canada, police said.

In addition to the pair of Mississauga men in custody, others under arrest include two Mexican nationals, a Toronto man and Markham woman.

Police said the joint-forces investigation, dubbed Project Castillo, began last August and led them to the seizure of more than 835 kilograms of cocaine ($83 million street value) and the half dozen arrests. The probe looked into drug importation and trafficking in the Greater Toronto Area and eventually led to the execution of multiple search warrants in different municipalities.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the massive drug operation, the largest cocaine seizure in the force’s history, has the “hallmarks” of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, based in Mexico.

He added such an operation is about more than numbers.

“It’s about saving lives and making our communities safer,” Demkiw said at the press conference held at Toronto Police headquarters. “Taking these drugs off our streets prevents violence, protects lives and dismantles dangerous criminal networks.”

Robert Nolin, 60, of Niagara Falls, is wanted by police. (Photo: Toronto Police)

Supt. Paul MacIntyre, of the Toronto Police organized crime enforcement unit, said more than half of the drugs seized in the investigation allegedly came from a single tractor-trailer from Mexico stopped on the Canadian side of the Canada-U.S. border.

Police allege the six people arrested are “high-level” drug distributors.

The investigation was headed up by the Toronto Police drug squad and also involved RCMP officers in Windsor, the Canada Border Services Agency and York Regional Police.

“Project Castillo demonstrates the power of collaboration to protect our communities,” said MacIntyre. “The results of Project Castillo have struck a significant blow to organized crime while reducing the harm these drugs cause in neighbourhoods across Canada.”

Facing charges that include possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking are: Omar Fair, 37, and Marlon Matthews, 45, both of Mississauga; Adriana Alexandra Jiron Zeledon, 20, of Markham; Kevin Figueiredo, 32, of Toronto; and Jorge Luis Mundo Garcia, 31, and Jimenez Avila Rodolfo, 28, both Mexican nationals.

All have made court appearances in Toronto.

Arrest warrants have been issued for Robert Nolin, 60, of Niagara Falls, and Alexis Arroyo, 31, and Marco Rivera, 31, both of Mexico.

They’re all wanted on charges of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.