Five Edmonton residents charged after $3M cocaine seizure in Lewis Estates
Charges laid in $3M Edmonton cocaine bust, ALERT says
EDMONTON — Police have laid charges against five people in connection with a record-setting cocaine seizure in Edmonton last year.
ALERT Edmonton, the province’s organized crime and gang enforcement team, says its investigation has led to multiple charges including participation in a criminal organization, conspiracy to traffic drugs, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
The charges stem from a major seizure that took place on April 30, 2024, when investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Edmonton’s Lewis Estates neighbourhood. ALERT says officers found 27 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated $3 million, along with other drugs and evidence of drug trafficking operations. The seizure was the largest of its kind by ALERT in Edmonton.
The investigation, conducted in partnership with the Edmonton Police Service and RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, linked the accused to an organized crime group operating in the Edmonton area. Investigators allege the group also supplied drugs to Grande Prairie and parts of Saskatchewan.
The five accused were arrested on April 21, 2025, and have since been released from custody. They are scheduled to appear in court on May 22.
“This investigation was complex and lengthy, but ultimately we were able to identify those responsible and lay significant charges in hopes of holding this group accountable,” said Insp. Angela Kemp with ALERT Edmonton.
The accused include:
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Jeffrey Vil, 45, of Edmonton, who faces nine charges including participation in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, and possession of a prohibited device.
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Tommy Szeto, 35, of Edmonton, faces six similar charges.
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Tayler Fraser, 27, of Edmonton, is charged with conspiracy and organized crime-related offences.
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Christian Barwise, 35, and Adrian De Guzman, 27, both of Edmonton, are each charged with drug trafficking.
- Adrian De Guzman, a 27-year-old from Edmonton, is charged with drug trafficking.
ALERT is encouraging the public to report suspicious drug or gang activity to local police or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
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