Five Lethbridge men have been charged after 10 firearms and nearly $250,000 worth of drugs, guns and vehicles were seized by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams last week.
ALERT Lethbridge’s organized crime team started the drug trafficking investigation in March 2020. It wrapped up on Jan. 21 when five Lethbridge homes were searched by police. The homes were located in the Sixmile, Uplands, The Crossings, Legacy Ridge and Fairmont neighbourhoods, ALERT said in a media release Thursday morning.
ALERT alleges a group of people was supplying drugs throughout Lethbridge and surrounding communities.
In total, ALERT seized:
- 10 firearms
- 306 grams of cocaine
- 39 grams of ketamine
- 188 grams of psilocybin mushrooms
- 36 milliliters of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
- 826 tabs of LSD
- Four vehicles
- $159,000 cash
“Organized crime harms our communities, and drug trafficking breeds violence, addiction and ancillary crimes,” said Supt. Dwayne Lakusta, ALERT CEO.
“This investigation is further testament to ALERT’s success in working alongside our partner agencies to disrupt and dismantle organized crime.”
The seized firearms, which included a prohibited handgun, two shotguns and seven rifles, will be sent for forensic analysis.
Kevin Coady, 32, Kristopher Hironaka, 26, Josh Barreira, 29, Thane Dahlseide, 25, and Willie Tailfeathers, 25, are facing a total of 19 drug and firearms-related charges. ALERT said all of the men are from Lethbridge.
Authorities say more charges may be laid as the investigation continues.
“We know they have ties to Lethbridge, and it would be naïve to think that each individual group is isolation,” said Staff Sgt. Leon Borbandy.
“Obviously the drugs come from somewhere else, and those are all leads that we’re following up on.”