The Canada Border Services Agency has made another big drug bust at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Coutts.
CBSA said a 26-year-old Calgary man was arrested on March 8, after border agents seized 108 kilograms of cocaine that was hidden inside a commercial vehicle that originated in the United States.
“Officers performing their regular day in, day out function here at the border were examining goods and people entering the country and encountered the shipment of cocaine,” said Benjamin Tame, CBSA director for southern Alberta.
The accused has been charged with importation of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.
He is scheduled to appear in court in Lethbridge on May 7.
CBSA said officers at the Coutts border crossing seized 108 kilograms of cocaine on March 8, 2025, from a commercial vehicle that originated in the U.S.The seizure and arrest came less than a month after CBSA announced details of two other large drug busts that resulted in the seizure of almost $3 million worth of cocaine and methamphetamine that were also allegedly being smuggled into Canada from the U.S. at the same border crossing.
While Tame said the recent increase in security measures along the Canada-U.S. is noticeable — large drug seizures are not unusual.
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“Our officers are on a fairly regular basis — whether it makes it into the press or not — they are regularly intercepting these types of drugs and quantities,” said Tame.
The latest drug seizure involved a joint operation between the CBSA, the RCMP and Calgary Police Service.
In all three cases, it’s believed the drugs were headed to Calgary.
“By intercepting these drugs, we’ve kept harmful substances out of our communities and collectively made our cities safer,” said Supt. Jeff Bell, of the Calgary police.
“What officers are doing here in Coutts directly impacts the towns, the communities, the cities that Albertans live in,” said Tame. “It affects every facet of society — our health care, our law enforcement partners, our schools, families, communities — and you know, even the drug users, it’s preserving and protecting life.”
In 2024 more than 1,300 kilograms of illicit narcotics were seized during attempts to smuggle the drugs into Canada, according to the CBSA.
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