Border security officers have intercepted a major cocaine shipment at the Coutts Port of Entry along the Alberta-Montana border, the Canadian Border Services Agency confirmed Wednesday — nearly seven weeks after the bust took place.
The CBSA revealed in an April 2 press release that 87 kilograms of suspected cocaine was seized on Feb. 15, when officers stopped a commercial truck bound for Calgary. The load was labelled as produce, but a search of the driver's cab turned up three suitcases containing the hidden narcotics.
The driver was arrested on the spot by CBSA officers and has since been transferred into RCMP custody, where the investigation is ongoing.
"This seizure highlights both the critical and ongoing role CBSA officers play in disrupting organized crime and preventing dangerous drugs from reaching Alberta communities," said CBSA Prairie regional director Janalee Bell-Boychuck.
The bust is the latest in a string of significant interceptions at the Coutts crossing. According to the CBSA, three separate seizures at the same border point in late 2025 netted more than 1,000 kilograms of narcotics combined — pointing to an intensified effort by criminal networks to funnel large drug shipments into Alberta through commercial freight channels.
Alberta Officers Among Busiest in Country
The CBSA says its officers in Alberta conducted over 1,292 narcotics seizures in 2025 alone — underscoring the province's position as a key transit corridor for illegal drugs entering Canada from the United States.
The Coutts crossing, located roughly 100 kilometres south of Lethbridge, is one of the busiest commercial entry points between Canada and the U.S. in the Prairie region, making it both a vital trade artery and a persistent target for drug smuggling operations.
Federal law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned that organized crime groups are increasingly using commercial trucking and legitimate-appearing cargo manifests to move large quantities of narcotics across the border undetected.
Source: CBC News. Original reporting by Sarah Mitchell.