Crime
Red Deer RCMP make arrests in crime hot spots

Red Deer, Alberta – Red Deer RCMP recent arrests include a number of successes while patrolling targeted crime hot spots, and a continued focus on locating suspects wanted on warrants and conducting compliance checks on individuals known to have court imposed conditions such as curfews; these strategies are key to Red Deer’s Pinpoint crime reduction focus on repeat offenders and emerging issues. Red Deer RCMP thank the public for their support in continuing to report suspicious vehicles and activity, which resulted in numerous more arrests over the past two weeks.March 26 –Shortly after 2 am on March 26, RCMP on patrol in an identified crime hot spot located a suspect in a stolen truck and arrested him without incident. The truck had been stolen out of Calgary.29 year old Gregory Bruce Deering faces the following charges:· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000· Criminal Code 733.1(1) – Fail to comply with probation X 2Deering is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on April 16 at 8:30 am.March 26 –At 12:30 am on March 26, RCMP on patrol in an identified crime hot spot located a man who was wanted on outstanding warrants and arrested him after being given a false name. At the time of his arrest, the suspect was found to be breaching several court-imposed conditions, including a curfew.36 year old Peter Gopher faces the following charges in addition to his warrants:· Criminal Code 129(a) – Resist/ obstruct peace officer· Criminal Code 145(3) – Fail to comply with conditions X 2Gopher was remanded to appear in court in Red Deer on March 28 at 9:30 am.March 24 –Red Deer RCMP located and arrested a man who was wanted on warrants for possession of stolen property and failing to appear in court regarding a June 2016 break and enter in Red Deer. 56 year old Hans John Schafer had failed to appear in court several times regarding this file, and had several warrants issued and executed by RCMP over the past year. After RCMP arrested him on March 24, he was remanded and will appear in court in Red Deer on April 3 at 8:30 am to face the charges against him.March 23 –Shortly before 1:30 pm, a Community Peace Officer in downtown Red Deer determined that the vehicle he was conducting a traffic stop on had been stolen; RCMP attended and arrested the suspect without incident. A 34 year old man faces a charge of possession of stolen property over $5,000 (CC 355(a)) and is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on May 8 at 9:30 am. His name cannot be released at this time as that charge has not yet been sworn before the courts.March 23 –Shortly before 3:30 am on March 23, RCMP responded to a report of suspicious activity at a convenience store in south Red Deer; on arrival, RCMP located a suspect who was known to be wanted on an outstanding warrant for breaching his probation; police took the suspect into custody without incident and found him to be in possession of break-in tools.In addition to his warrant, 47 year old Joel Bremner faces a charge of Criminal Code 351(1) – Possess break-in tools. Bremner was scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on March 27.March 22 –At 11:30 pm on March 22, RCMP responded to a report of someone entering parked vehicles in the Normandeau neighbourhood and arrested a man as he was going through the contents of a truck. At the time of his arrest, the suspect was wanted on outstanding warrants for breaching parole and failing to comply with conditions.In addition to those warrants, 39 year old Matthew Peter Schoonderwoerd faces the following charges:· Criminal Code 334(b) – Theft under $5,000· Criminal Code 430(4) – Mischief under $5,000 X 2· Criminal Code 145(3) – Fail to comply with conditions· Criminal Code 733.1(1) – Fail to comply with probation X 2· Criminal Code 355(b) – Possession of stolen property under $5,000Schoonderwoerd is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on March 28 at 9:30 am.March 21 –Shortly before 10 pm on March 21, RCMP on patrol in the Riverside Light industrial area located a stolen Dodge Ram as it drove on Riverside Drive. Police officers successfully laid a tire deflation device, and the truck drove on damaged back tires into the downtown, where it fled eastbound onto westbound Ross Street into oncoming traffic. Police did not pursue for public safety reasons, but tracked the truck into the Grandview neighbourhood as it drove on heavily damaged rims, lost control and came to a stop. The driver attempted to flee on foot but was arrested after a brief foot chase.45 year old Cody Mitchell Morrow faces the following charges:· Criminal Code 129(a) – Resist/ obstruct peace officer· Criminal Code 249(1) – Dangerous operation of motor vehicle· Criminal Code 249.1(1) – Operate motor vehicle while pursued by police· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000· Criminal Code 355(b) – Possession of stolen property under $5,000Morrow was remanded to appear in court in Red Deer on March 26 and is scheduled to appear again on April 4 at 9:30 am.March 19 –On March 19, RCMP obtained a warrant for the arrest of 26 year old Chance Aaron Shaw regarding a fraud complaint made to police on March 15. After investigating an allegation that Shaw had represented himself as a legal professional and had received payment for legal services from a victim in February and March of 2018, RCMP charged Shaw with one count of fraud over $5,000 (CC 380(1)(a)) and one count of failing to comply with conditions (CC 145(3)). Shaw is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on March 28 at 8:30 am.March 18 –The night of March 18, RCMP conducted a curfew check on an individual and determined that he was not at home, in violation of his court-imposed conditions. RCMP obtained a warrant for the arrest of 27 year old Robert Theus Handy and executed the warrant on March 22. Handy faces a charge of failing to comply with conditions and was remanded to appear in court in Red Deer on March 26. He is scheduled to appear again on April 4 at 9:30 am.March 16 –The night of March 16, RCMP conducting a residence check on an individual determined that he was in breach of court-imposed residence conditions. RCMP obtained a warrant for his arrest and located and arrested the suspect on March 25.28 year old Luke David Johnson faces a charge of failing to comply with conditions (CC 145(3)) and was remanded to appear in court in Red Deer on March 27; he is scheduled to appear in court again on March 29 at 9:30 am.March 14 –At 4:30 am on March 14, RCMP on patrol in north Red Deer located a truck with an invalid license plate. For the safety of the public, RCMP waited until the truck was parked before blocking it in with several police vehicles. RCMP took the male driver and two female passengers into custody without incident; RCMP seized a sawed off rifle that was found beneath the driver’s seat along with ammunition and what is believed to be a counterfeit Canadian $50 bill. The male driver was wanted on outstanding warrants for possession of methamphetamine and failing to appear in court.28 year old Dylan John Buehler (aka Dylan Warren) faces the following charges in addition to his warrants:· Criminal Code 94(1) – Possession of firearm in motor vehicle· Criminal Code 95(1) – Possession restricted firearm with ammunition without license· Criminal Code 91(1) – Unauthorized possession of firearm· Criminal Code 90(1) – Carry concealed weapon· Criminal Code 86(1) – Careless use of a firearm· CDSA 4(1) – Possession of Schedule VIII substanceWarren is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on March 29 at 9:30 am.A 27 year old woman will face one charge of Criminal Code 450 – Possession of counterfeit money and a 28 year old woman will face one charge of CDSA 4(1) – Possession of Schedule VIII substance. Both women are scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on May 8 at 8:30 am; their names cannot be released at this time as those charges have not yet been sworn before the courts.
2025 Federal Election
Police Associations Endorse Conservatives. Poilievre Will Shut Down Tent Cities

From Conservative Party Communications
Under the Lost Liberal decade, homelessness has surged by 20% since 2018 and chronic homelessness has spiked 38%. In cities like Nanaimo, Victoria and London, the number of people living in tents and makeshift shelters has exploded. In Toronto alone, there were 82 encampments in early 2023—now there are over 200, with an estimated 1,400 in Ontario.
Yesterday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre received the endorsement of the Toronto Police Association, the largest single association of its kind in Canada, representing approximately 8,000 civilian and uniformed members.
This follows the endorsement by the police associations of Durham, Peel, Barrie, and Sault Ste. Marie of the Conservative plan to stop the crime and keep Canadians safe, after the Liberal government’s easy bail and soft-on-crime policies unleashed a wave of violent crime.
“These men and women put their lives on the line every day to keep our streets safe,” Poilievre said. “Our Conservative team is honoured to have their support and will back them up with laws to help them protect all Canadians.”
Poilievre also announced that a new Conservative government will ensure that police have the legal power to remove dangerous encampments to end the homelessness and the mental health and addiction crisis that has trapped thousands in dangerous tent cities and make life unsafe for law-abiding Canadians who live near them.
“Parks where children played are now littered with needles. Small businesses are boarded up and whole blocks of storefronts are shuttered because their owners can’t afford to deal with constant break-ins and vandalism,” Pierre Poilievre said. “Public spaces belong to everyone, but law-abiding citizens, especially families and seniors, are being pushed out to accommodate chaos and violence.”
Canadian cities have a mixed record of dealing with encampments in public places, with some not acting because they don’t believe they have the legal authority to remove the camps. Conservatives will work with provinces and ensure law enforcement has the clear legal tools they need to remove encampments and give Canadians back the safe streets and public spaces they deserve.
A Poilievre-led government will do this by reversing the Liberals’ radical pro-drug policies and by:
- Amending the Criminal Code to give police the tools to charge individuals when they endanger public safety or discourage the public from using, moving through, or otherwise accessing public spaces by setting up temporary structures, including tents.
- Clarifying in law that police can dismantle illegal encampments and ensure individuals living in them who need help are connected with housing, addiction treatment, and mental health services.
- Giving judges the power to order people charged for illegally occupying public spaces with a temporary structure and simple possession of illegal drugs to mandatory drug treatment.
- Returning to a housing first approach to homelessness, ensuring people get off the streets into a stable place to live with the support they need to rebuild their lives.
Under the Lost Liberal decade, homelessness has surged by 20% since 2018 and chronic homelessness has spiked 38%. In cities like Nanaimo, Victoria and London, the number of people living in tents and makeshift shelters has exploded. In Toronto alone, there were 82 encampments in early 2023—now there are over 200, with an estimated 1,400 in Ontario.
These encampments are a direct result of radical Liberal policies such as drug decriminalization and unsafe supply. They are extremely dangerous for the people trapped in them, who endure overdoses, assaults, including sexual assaults, human trafficking, and even homicide, as well as the community around them.
Under the Poilievre plan, tent cities will no longer be an option—but recovery will be. Conservatives will give law enforcement the tools they need to help clean up our streets, deal with chronic offenders, and provide truly compassionate recovery and treatment where it is needed.
“Instead of getting people the help they need, the Liberals abandoned our communities to chaos,” Poilievre said. “Leaving people trapped by their addictions to live outdoors through Canadian winters, sick, malnourished, cold, wet and vulnerable is the furthest thing from compassionate.”
A Conservative government will also overhaul the Liberals’ dangerous pro-drug policies that have led to over 50,000 overdose deaths over the Lost Liberal Decade. Instead of flooding our streets with taxpayer-funded hard drugs, we will invest in recovery to break the cycle of despair and offer real hope.
Conservatives will allow judges to sentence offenders to mandatory treatment for addiction, and we will fund 50,000 addiction treatment spaces, ensuring that those struggling with substance use get the support they need to recover—because real compassion means helping people get better, not enabling their suffering.
In addition to these measures, Poilievre has a plan to end the soft-on-crime approach of the Lost Liberal Decade, end the chaos, and restore order and safety across Canada:
- Three-Strikes-and-You’re-Out Law: Individuals convicted of three serious offences will face a minimum prison term of 10 years and up to a life sentence, with no eligibility for bail, probation, parole, or house arrest.
- Mandatory Life Sentences: Life imprisonment for those convicted of five or more counts of human trafficking, importing or exporting ten or more illegal firearms, or trafficking fentanyl.
- Repeal of Bill C-75: Ending the Liberals’ catch-and-release policies to restore jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders.
- New Offense for Intimate Partner Assault: Creation of a specific offense for assault of an intimate partner, with the strictest bail conditions for those accused, and ensuring that murder of an intimate partner, one’s own child, or a partner’s child is treated as first-degree murder.
- Consecutive Sentences for Repeat Violent Offenders: So there will no longer be sentencing discounts for multiple murderers.
Canadians can’t afford a fourth Liberal term of rising crime and chaos in our streets. We need a new Conservative government that will end the chaos, restore order on our streets and bring our loved ones home drug-free.
Business
China, Mexico, Canada Flagged in $1.4 Billion Fentanyl Trade by U.S. Financial Watchdog

Sam Cooper
The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has identified $1.4 billion in fentanyl-linked suspicious transactions, naming China, Mexico, Canada, and India as key foreign touchpoints in the global production and laundering network. The analysis, based on 1,246 Bank Secrecy Act filings submitted in 2024, tracks financial activity spanning chemical purchases, trafficking logistics, and international money laundering operations.
The data reveals that Mexico and the People’s Republic of China were the two most frequently named foreign jurisdictions in financial intelligence gathered by FinCEN. Most of the flagged transactions originated in U.S. cities, the report notes, due to the “domestic nature” of Bank Secrecy Act data collection. Among foreign jurisdictions, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, and Canada were cited most often in fentanyl-related financial activity.
The FinCEN report points to Mexico as the epicenter of illicit fentanyl production, with Mexican cartels importing precursor chemicals from China and laundering proceeds through complex financial routes involving U.S., Canadian, and Hong Kong-based actors.
The findings also align with testimony from U.S. and Canadian law enforcement veterans who have told The Bureau that Chinese state-linked actors sit atop a decentralized but industrialized global fentanyl economy—supplying precursors, pill presses, and financing tools that rely on trade-based money laundering and professional money brokers operating across North America.
“Filers also identified PRC-based subjects in reported money laundering activity, including suspected trade-based money laundering schemes that leveraged the Chinese export sector,” the report says.
A point emphasized by Canadian and U.S. experts—including former U.S. State Department investigator Dr. David Asher—that professional Chinese money laundering networks operating in North America are significantly commanded by Chinese Communist Party–linked Triad bosses based in Ontario and British Columbia—is not explored in detail in this particular FinCEN report.¹
Chinese chemical manufacturers—primarily based in Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Hebei provinces—were repeatedly cited for selling fentanyl precursors via wire transfers and money service businesses. These sales were often facilitated through e-commerce platforms, suggesting that China’s global retail footprint conceals a lethal underground market—one that ultimately fuels a North American public health crisis. In many cases, the logistics were sophisticated: some Chinese companies even offered delivery guarantees and customs clearance for precursor shipments, raising red flags for enforcement officials.
While China’s industrial base dominates the global fentanyl supply chain, Mexican cartels are the next most prominent state-like actors in the ecosystem—but the report emphasizes that Canada and India are rising contributors.
“Subjects in other foreign countries—including Canada, the Dominican Republic, and India—highlight the presence of alternative suppliers of precursor chemicals and fentanyl,” the report says.
“Canada-based subjects were primarily identified by Bank Secrecy Act filers due to their suspected involvement in drug trafficking organizations allegedly sourcing fentanyl and other drugs from traditional drug source countries, such as Mexico,” it explains, adding that banking intelligence “identified activity indicative of Canada-based individuals and companies purchasing precursor chemicals and laboratory equipment that may be related to the synthesis of fentanyl in Canada. Canada-based subjects were primarily reported with addresses in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.”
FinCEN also flagged activity from Hong Kong-based shell companies—often subsidiaries or intermediaries for Chinese chemical exporters. These entities were used to obscure the PRC’s role in transactions and to move funds through U.S.-linked bank corridors.
Breaking down the fascinating and deadly world of Chinese underground banking used to move fentanyl profits from American cities back to producers, the report explains how Chinese nationals in North America are quietly enlisted to move large volumes of cash across borders—without ever triggering traditional wire transfers.
These networks, formally known as Chinese Money Laundering Organizations (CMLOs), operate within a global underground banking system that uses “mirror transfers.” In this system, a Chinese citizen with renminbi in China pays a local broker, while the U.S. dollar equivalent is handed over—often in cash—to a recipient in cities like Los Angeles or New York who may have no connection to the original Chinese depositor aside from their role in the laundering network. The renminbi, meanwhile, is used inside China to purchase goods such as electronics, which are then exported to Mexico and delivered to cartel-linked recipients.
FinCEN reports that US-based money couriers—often Chinese visa holders—were observed depositing large amounts of cash into bank accounts linked to everyday storefront businesses, including nail salons and restaurants. Some of the cash was then used to purchase cashier’s checks, a common method used to obscure the origin and destination of the funds. To banks, the activity might initially appear consistent with a legitimate business. However, modern AI-powered transaction monitoring systems are increasingly capable of flagging unusual patterns—such as small businesses conducting large or repetitive transfers that appear disproportionate to their stated operations.
On the Mexican side, nearly one-third of reports named subjects located in Sinaloa and Jalisco, regions long controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación. Individuals in these states were often cited as recipients of wire transfers from U.S.-based senders suspected of repatriating drug proceeds. Others were flagged as originators of payments to Chinese chemical suppliers, raising alarms about front companies and brokers operating under false pretenses.
The report outlines multiple cases where Mexican chemical brokers used generic payment descriptions such as “goods” or “services” to mask wire transfers to China. Some of these transactions passed through U.S.-based intermediaries, including firms owned by Chinese nationals. These shell companies were often registered in unrelated sectors—like marketing, construction, or hardware—and exhibited red flags such as long dormancy followed by sudden spikes in large transactions.
Within the United States, California, Florida, and New York were most commonly identified in fentanyl-related financial filings. These locations serve as key hubs for distribution and as collection points for laundering proceeds. Cash deposits and peer-to-peer payment platforms were the most cited methods for fentanyl-linked transactions, appearing in 54 percent and 51 percent of filings, respectively.
A significant number of flagged transactions included slang terms and emojis—such as “blues,” “ills,” or blue dots—in memo fields. Structured cash deposits were commonly made across multiple branches or ATMs, often linked to otherwise legitimate businesses such as restaurants, salons, and trucking firms.
FinCEN also tracked a growing number of trade-based laundering schemes, in which proceeds from fentanyl sales were used to buy electronics and vaping devices. In one case, U.S.-based companies owned by Chinese nationals made outbound payments to Chinese manufacturers, using funds pooled from retail accounts and shell companies. These goods were then shipped to Mexico, closing the laundering loop.
Another key laundering method involved cryptocurrency. Nearly 10 percent of all fentanyl-related reports involved virtual currency, with Bitcoin the most commonly cited, followed by Ethereum and Litecoin. FinCEN flagged twenty darknet marketplaces as suspected hubs for fentanyl distribution and cited failures by some digital asset platforms to catch red-flag activity.
Overall, FinCEN warns that fentanyl-linked funds continue to enter the U.S. financial system through loosely regulated or poorly monitored channels, even as law enforcement ramps up enforcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration reported seizures of over 55 million counterfeit fentanyl pills in 2024 alone.
The broader pattern is unmistakable: precursor chemicals flow from China, manufacturing occurs in Mexico, Canada plays an increasing role in chemical acquisition and potential synthesis, and drugs and proceeds flood into the United States, supported by global financial tools and trade structures. The same infrastructure that enables lawful commerce is being manipulated to sustain the deadliest synthetic drug crisis in modern history.
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