OttawaTwenty people are facing 700 charges after a multijurisdictional law enforcement operation seized over 14 kilograms of illegal drugs and 35 firearms in raids in Cornwall, Ottawa and Akwesasne, the Cornwall Police Service announced on Wednesday. Cornwall police worked with U.S. law enforcement plus police in Akwesasne, Ottawa, Kingston, QuebecCBC News · Posted: Oct 15, 2025 2:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoPolice seized 35 firearms and more than $2 million in drugs in the operation, the Cornwall Police Service said Wednesday. (Cornwall Police Service)Police have laid 700 charges against 20 people after a multijurisdictional law enforcement operation seized over 14 kilograms of drugs and 35 firearms in raids in Cornwall, Ottawa and Akwesasne, Cornwall police announced Wednesday. Six search warrants executed last week resulted in the seizure of two assault rifles, 33 handguns, over eight kilograms of suspected cocaine, nearly six kilograms of suspected fentanyl, alongside other illegal drugs, ammunition, a stolen vehicle, 3D printers, a personal watercraft and $70,000 in cash, the release said.”Project FESTER has removed more than $2 million in illegal drugs and firearms from our streets, one of the largest and most complex investigations in the history of the Cornwall Police Service,” Chief Shawna Spowart said in the release. Cornwall police said 33 handguns were among items seized after six search warrants were executed in Cornwall, Ottawa and Akwesasne on Oct. 8. (Cornwall Police Service)Last September, investigators began looking into drug and firearms trafficking around Cornwall, before expanding to include other jurisdictions including Akwesasne and the United States, the release said.Investigators identified what they believed were two criminal networks, one allegedly trafficking drugs in Cornwall, the other allegedly trafficking firearms in Ottawa and Akwesasne. The investigation eventually involved Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, Ottawa police, Kingston Police, Akwesasne Mohawk Police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).”This case underscores the importance of cross-border collaboration in disrupting the flow of illegal firearms and drugs, said Bryan Berryman, the assistant country attaché of the ATF’s Canada office, according to the release. Eastern Ontario is a “key corridor for drug and firearms trafficking,” according to OPP Chief Supt. Mike Stoddart.Fifteen people have been arrested including four in Ottawa, seven in Cornwall, two in Akwesasne, one in Apple Hill, Ont., and a man in New York state. Arrest warrants have been issued for five more people. The Cornwall Police Service said Operation Fester resulted in the seizure of 8.3 kilos of suspected cocaine and 5.8 kilos of suspected fentanyl, among other items. (Cornwall Police Service)
Police seize 35 firearms, $2M in drugs in raids in Cornwall, Ottawa, Akwesasne
