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Crime

BC Fentanyl Ring ‘Negotiated’ With Sinaloa Chief ‘El Mayo,’ Court Filings Allege

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5 minute read

Sam Cooper

A new high-profile British Columbia money laundering case targets an alleged Sinaloa Cartel–linked fentanyl and cocaine trafficking cell established in a mansion near the U.S. border. Court filings say the group was capable of negotiating significant cocaine importation deals with Ismael Garcia—known as “El Mayo”—the reputed Sinaloa Cartel chief.

According to the filings, the Canada-based syndicate comprised at least three men, including Hector Chavez-Anchondo. The lawsuit, filed yesterday by the Director of Civil Forfeiture, contends that they belonged to a violent drug trafficking organization that “used and continues to use violence, or threats of violence, to achieve its aims.”

Investigators allege that the Sinaloa Cartel-linked gang trafficked a range of controlled substances, including ketamine, methamphetamine, Xanax, oxycodone, MDMA, and fentanyl.

“As part of these efforts, the drug trafficking organization has agreed to, and made arrangements to, purchase cocaine from the Cártel de Sinaloa in Mexico,” the filings say. They add that “the Sinaloa Cartel is a terrorist entity, and the government of Canada listed it as such on February 20, 2025.”

Though no criminal convictions have been reported in connection with this lawsuit—first covered by the Vancouver Sun—Canada’s designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a terrorist organization could have significant ramifications for high-level discussions between the Trump Administration and Ottawa. Washington has intensified pressure on Canada over alleged failures to curb fentanyl trafficking networks, with the dispute escalating into sweeping tariffs amid a mounting trade war.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, members of the Surrey-based fentanyl and cocaine trafficking network had the clout to negotiate cocaine supply terms directly with García until his arrest by U.S. law enforcement on July 25, 2024. Court filings state that his capture “disrupted the DTO’s efforts to import and distribute cocaine in Canada,” forcing the group to pivot and initiate “negotiations with other parties, known only to the DTO members.”

RCMP investigators say they uncovered a substantial cache of weapons and narcotics during a search of a Surrey property on 77th Avenue on September 23, 2024. The multi-million-dollar mansion is located about 20 minutes from the Peace Arch border crossing in Washington State, north of Seattle.

Court submissions detail the following seized items:

  • Firearms: Twenty-three weapons, including ten handguns, two sawed-off shotguns, two hunting rifles, seven assault rifles (two reportedly equipped with screw-on sound suppressors), and a speargun.
  • Drugs: Approximately 3.5 kilograms of ketamine and methamphetamine concealed in a hidden compartment in one suspect’s room, hundreds of counterfeit alprazolam pills, and a hidden stash of oxycodone pills.
  • Currency: Nearly CAD 15,000 in cash, bundled “not consistent with standard banking practices.”

Authorities also confiscated numerous luxury assets, asserting these represented either instruments or proceeds of unlawful activity. In a filing submitted today, a lawyer for the Director of Asset Seizure wrote:

“There is a triable question as to whether the Vehicles, the Motorcycles, the Azure Boat, the Trailer, the Money, the Jewellery, and other Valuables and Electronic Devices are either instruments or proceeds of unlawful activity. Drug trafficking is a cash business. Persons involved in illegal drug activity frequently carry large sums of cash, either to purchase drugs or as proceeds from drug sales. Currency itself can be an instrument of unlawful activity, facilitating further drug transactions.”

Seized vehicles included a 2006 GMC Sierra, a 2002 Ford F350, a 2006 Land Rover, a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport, a 2006 Dodge Charger R/T, and a restored 1950 vintage Ford. Investigators also confiscated upscale motorcycles, such as a 2012 Harley Davidson and custom bikes featuring elaborate flame motifs. An Azure AZ238 boat, along with its Shoreland’r trailer, was taken as well.

more to come

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Crime

UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

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Quick Hit:

After years of denial and political cover-ups, the UK government has formally acknowledged a disturbing link between Pakistani-heritage men and child grooming gangs. A scathing new review has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reverse course and launch a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.

Key Details:

  • The Casey Review found “clear evidence” of Pakistani men’s overrepresentation in grooming gangs and accused authorities of ignoring the abuse to avoid accusations of racism.
  • Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed over 800 historic child sex abuse cases will be reopened and prosecuted where possible.
  • The Labour Party and Prime Minister Starmer were previously opposed to a national inquiry, with critics calling this reversal a politically motivated “smokescreen.”

Diving Deeper:

The British government has finally acknowledged a link between Pakistani-heritage men and the grooming gang epidemic that has plagued communities across England for decades. The admission comes following the release of a damning public review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which uncovered years of institutional failure, racial sensitivity, and political cowardice.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper presented the findings in Parliament, confirming that the Casey Review had “identified clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.” She condemned the systematic rape of vulnerable girls—some as young as 10—and the authorities’ “unforgivable” failure to act.

“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes,” Cooper said, noting that too many warnings had been ignored over the last 15 years. She announced that the government would adopt all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations and reopen more than 800 historic cases.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry as “far-right misinformation,” abruptly changed course over the weekend and agreed to a full inquiry with legal authority to compel testimony. This reversal followed mounting pressure from campaigners like Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, Elon Musk, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, once ousted for raising alarms about Pakistani grooming gangs in her Rotherham constituency, welcomed the inquiry. “There’s a real sense justice has not been handed out fairly,” she said, accusing officials of failing victims for fear of “causing offense.”

The Casey review also pointed to illegal immigration as a contributing factor and called for mandatory ethnicity data collection in child exploitation cases. Critics argue that authorities in Labour-run areas turned a blind eye to the abuse—some allegedly in exchange for votes—treating white working-class girls as expendable while shielding perpetrators.

Former detective and grooming whistleblower Maggie Oliver expressed skepticism, warning that unless the inquiry is led by Baroness Casey, it risks becoming another whitewash. “This is about gross criminal neglect at the top of policing, at the top of government, at the top of social services,” Oliver said.

While the inquiry marks a long-overdue step toward accountability, some warn it may be politically perilous for Starmer. As former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he held a central role when many of these abuses first surfaced. And with many of the cover-ups tied to Labour councils, the fallout could deepen public distrust in the party.

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Crime

Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

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Quick Hit:

Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.

Key Details:

  • Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.

  • He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.

  • The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.

Diving Deeper:

Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.

Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.

The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.

From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.

Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

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