Canadian and U.S. authorities say they uncovered a broker-style drug trafficking operation that used commercial transportation relationships to move illegal drugs through legitimate supply chains.

Canadian authorities seized nearly 1.7 metric tons of illegal drugs during Project Bay, a cross-border investigation involving suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and opium. Officials estimated the street value of the seized products at more than $139 million and described the case as one of Ontario's most significant single-investigation seizures.

Investigation focused on transportation links

Windsor Police began the investigation in January 2025. The Canada Border Services Agency joined the following month, as investigators sought to identify a trafficking network with ties to the international border. Ontario Provincial Police later supported the cross-border and interprovincial components of the case.

Windsor sits directly across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan, and the surrounding corridor includes some of the busiest commercial land border crossings between Canada and the United States, a volume of trade traffic that investigators say criminal organizations have sought to exploit.

According to the official CBSA announcement, investigators identified a broker-style model operating within the commercial transportation sector. In legitimate freight operations, brokers arrange shipments between shippers and carriers without necessarily handling the cargo themselves, and authorities said the organization relied on those types of established connections to arrange cross-border drug movements. Authorities said drivers knowingly transported illegal products inside legitimate supply chains. Investigators are still working to determine the network's source and full scope.

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the international aspects of the case. Toronto Police and Peel Regional Police also contributed operational and investigative support. Several specialized Canadian units took part in the searches, alongside local, provincial and federal law enforcement partners.

Warrants lead to drugs, firearms and cash

Police executed 18 search warrants on June 25 in Windsor, Corunna, LaSalle, Brampton and Kleinburg. Authorities carried out two more searches in Markham and Caledon on July 14, followed by two additional searches in Brampton on July 20.

The seizures included 973 kilograms of suspected cocaine, 660 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, 49 kilograms of suspected opium and 230 oxycodone tablets. Officers also recovered 17 firearms, including an anti-tank rifle, along with ammunition, brass knuckles, magazines and a baton.

Investigators seized C$80,000 and US$10,000 during the operation. They also took one vehicle as offense-related property. Other items recovered included high-end jewelry, money counters, 43 cellphones and six laptops.

Twenty-one people charged with 104 offenses

Authorities charged 21 people with 104 offenses under the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Police arrested 19 defendants during the operation, while two others remained wanted under outstanding arrest warrants.

The OPP Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit is also involved in the case. Its investigators will examine potential offenses related to criminal proceeds and assist with seizing property allegedly connected to crimes. Officials said the broader Project Bay investigation remains active.

"This seizure reflects the scale of criminal activity that crosses borders and impacts communities across Ontario," OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Stoddart said. He credited cooperation among municipal, provincial, federal and international partners. "We have significantly disrupted the flow of harmful substances," Stoddart said, adding that authorities had also removed substantial profits from the criminal economy.

"This investigation began as the result of information obtained by the Windsor Police Service," Chief Jason Crowley said. He said the case expanded across several Ontario jurisdictions and credited law enforcement partners with dismantling the network. Crowley said the organization moved dangerous drugs and firearms into communities across the province.

CBSA's Southern Ontario region has seized 5,555 kilograms of illegal drugs at land ports so far this year. Officers in the region have also seized 206 firearms during the same period. Regional Director General Michael Prosia credited cooperation among domestic and international agencies and specifically thanked Ontario Provincial Police and Windsor Police for their work.

Project Bay remains an active investigation. FreightWaves said it contacted OPP before publication for additional information about the transportation operation, but OPP did not respond before publication. FreightWaves said it would update its article as officials released more details.

The case highlights how criminal networks can attempt to place illegal products inside legitimate commercial supply chains. The broker-style model described by authorities points to the particular vulnerability of intermediary relationships in freight transportation, where multiple parties handle cargo arrangements across long distances and jurisdictional boundaries. As cross-border enforcement agencies continue their investigation, the details that emerge may inform how carriers, brokers and border authorities assess risk within North American supply chains.