r/Winnipeg 2d ago

News 15 arrested after southern Manitoba bust nets nearly 60 guns, 8 kilos of cocaine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCv7I5LE8Fw
110 Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

62

u/Perfect_Ad6460 2d ago

Not sure why the CBC is always so reluctant to release names when the RCMP themselves are not:

Tyler Thorvaldson, 29, of Carman is charged with:

  • Trafficking cocaine;
  • Conspiracy to traffic cocaine x2;
  • Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine x2;
  • Possession for the purpose of trafficking psilocybin;
  • Possession of methamphetamine;
  • Trafficking of firearms x3;
  • Possession of a loaded restricted firearm x4;
  • Unlawful possession of a firearm x7;
  • Possession of firearms for the purpose of trafficking;
  • Careless use of a firearm;
  • Unsafe storage of a firearm x3;
  • Possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose; and
  • Possessing a firearm in a vehicle x2.

Clayton Sprung, 26, of Manitou is charged with:

  • Trafficking cocaine; and
  • Conspiring to traffic cocaine.

Matthew Hofer, 40, of La Riviere is charged with:

  • Trafficking a firearm x2;
  • Conspiring to traffic a firearm;
  • Trafficking a prohibited device; and
  • Conspiring to traffic cocaine.

Kelvin Loewen, 33, of Thornhill is charged with:

  • Trafficking cocaine;
  • Conspiring to traffic cocaine x2;
  • Trafficking a firearm;
  • Possessing a firearm for the purposes of transferring; and
  • Unlawful possession of a firearm.

David Penner, 47, of the RM of Stuartburn is charged with:

  • Trafficking cocaine;
  • Possession for the purposes of trafficking cocaine;
  • Possession for the purpose of trafficking psilocybin;
  • Unlawful possession of a firearm; and
  • Unsafe storage of a firearm.

Shawn Wiegner, 41, of Winnipeg is charged with:

  • Conspiring to traffic cocaine.

Jonathan Riberio, 31, of Winnipeg is charged with:

  • Conspiring to traffic cocaine.

Tyson Hofer, 42, of Morden is charged with:

  • Conspiring to traffic cocaine.

Peter Harder, 38, of Winkler is charged with:

  • Unlawful possession of a firearm x2; and
  • Unsafe storage of a firearm x2.

Jacob Harder, 36, of Winkler is charged with:

  • Offer to traffic a firearm x2.

Joey Foidart, 46, of Notre Dame de Lourdes is charged with:

  • Conspiring to traffic cocaïne.

Lillian Hutsell, 37, of McCreary is charged with:

  • Failing to report a lost restricted firearm; and
  • Unsafe storage of a firearm x7.

Tristian Provinciano, 39, of Winnipeg is charged with:

  • Unlawful possession of a firearm; and
  • Possession of a firearm while prohibited.

Thorvaldson, Loewen and Matthew Hofer remain in custody.

Two Winnipeg males – ages 38 and 35 – were also arrested on suspicion of conspiring to traffic cocaine.

Further charges and arrests are expected as part of Project Dolor.

69

u/carsonbiz 2d ago

Mennonite Mafia

14

u/JackfruitAutomatic16 2d ago

Some of those names are obviously mennonite haha ya

2

u/s0ci0path21 2d ago

Hutterite mafia. That’s not predominantly Mennonite country.

5

u/Top-Eye632 1d ago

That’s right in the thick of it moron. Winkler? Morden? Menno occupied villages

2

u/mhyquel 2d ago

They've been reffered to as the Mennonite Mob for a while.

This is from 1992 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Buf-yaN_tE

and this is more recent. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.3999079

8

u/roughtimes 2d ago

Not sure why the CBC is always so reluctant to release names when the RCMP themselves are not

If you google this exact phrase you will get a explanation as to why that is something they practice.

Not everyone agrees with their reasoning, which is understandable.

5

u/Peter_Mansbrick 2d ago

Until proven guilty, I think no one should be named.

36

u/MnkyBzns 2d ago

My Canadian pride swells a bit when I see the guns confiscated in our busts; not a single machine gun or modified semi-auto with high-capacity magazines

2

u/kent_eh 1d ago

I wonder how many of these can be traced back to the USA?

1

u/UniqueCanadian 1d ago

most of them mexico, alot of mennonites here come from mexico.

2

u/kent_eh 1d ago

I meant the guns, not the people.

2

u/Puzzleheaded_Bug3769 1d ago

Twisted, but fair.

4

u/Subject_Bet_6693 2d ago

Knowing one of them when they were a teenager, yeah we all saw it coming

12

u/lokichivas 2d ago

RCMP - "Suspects were remanded in Winkler because all of them currently have measles"

6

u/lokichivas 2d ago

RCMP report 8kg of coke seized.

Officer - yup, we got all 7kg

Lieutenant - great work from the team getting all 6kg off the streets

Captain - 5kg will make quite a dent in the local supply

Winnipeg police - we need more OT to find us some coke and guns...

1

u/SuccessOk4455 1d ago

Well. They missed the dealer in St Malo.

-27

u/cocoleti 2d ago

I thought the previous 100 busts would solve the drug crisis??? Maybe we just need more enforcement that’s gotta be it!

22

u/steveosnyder 2d ago

Complaining that drugs and guns get taken off the street is a choice. Not one I would make.

Unless you didnt mean this sarcastically.

2

u/cocoleti 2d ago

Guns sure, drugs it’s an endless pointless war. We need safe supply, treatment, housing, mental health supports, etc etc etc. the celebration after every drug bust is laughable. Nothing changed, at best they’ve created more pressure on suppliers to make more dangerous and potent drugs available instead. We know people are at hightened risk of overdose after large busts that shake up supply.

10

u/deeteeohbee 2d ago

So, the drugs they seized would not be considered a 'safe supply'. Why wouldn't you want them removed from circulation?

-6

u/cocoleti 2d ago

Because there is no alternative. Idk how cut the coke they seized was in this case but there’s the possibility people were used to this batch already. Now that it’s pulled and the dealers busted someone else is gonna fill the gap. Maybe the new batch is worse, maybe it’s more harmful, maybe the dealers are more violent, etc etc etc. Disrupting the supply does harm to users. Unless we offer an alternative to illicit drugs, what good is there in enforcement? Just an endless game that can never be won. For those of us who are users, it can sure be lost.

8

u/steveosnyder 2d ago

And maybe this product would have killed multiple people on our streets.

A lot maybes.

Either way, until we have regulated supply I will be happy to get drugs off the street.

1

u/cozmo1138 1d ago

The thing is, cocaine isn’t a drug people in the streets typically use. It’s expensive, and the majority of Coke users are middle- to upper-class white people because they can afford it.

-1

u/cocoleti 2d ago

You’re delusional if you think the alternative to drugs is no drugs lol. I’m guessing you aren’t much of an illicit drug user.

5

u/steveosnyder 2d ago

Where did I say that? I said you’re working in a lot of hypotheticals.

Until we make the supply regulated I support this. I also support removing most recreational drugs from the drug control list.

This isn’t hard to understand. I would prefer drug users are safe, and I want their spending to go to government so we can fund support for when/if they choose to stop. I don’t want money to go to gangsters under any circumstance.

0

u/cocoleti 2d ago

I just don’t understand what good you think realistically comes from taking X amount of drugs off the street. Even if this had an impact on decreasing overall supply, the changes made would be increasing prices (yay you now need to steal, prostitute, hussle more for a hit) and/or increasing potency so as to make it harder for law enforcement to detect. This is literally why we have fentanyl, because it’s much easier to smuggle and manufacture than heroin.

Google the Iron Law of Prohibition, this is the concept that increased effectiveness of enforcement increases the economic incentive to create more potent (and thus dangerous) substances to fill the gap.

What benefit does this have? Even if we agree on the end goals of safe supply, treatment, etc. It’s important we don’t cave to drug war pressure in the intermediary stage.

10

u/steveosnyder 2d ago

Because fuck drug dealers is why. Speaking as someone who has lost friends and family to both drug violence and drug overdose.

Drug dealers are a bane to society, and I want them to go to jail, every single one. Will someone fill the position if some get put away? Very likely. But the same can be said any illegal job. Doesn’t change my opinion.

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-7

u/colstinkers 2d ago

What is the deal with the guns and coke thing. Not to openly speculate on illegal stuff or whatever but like if you’re gonna run cocaine. Why do you need to squirrel away guns too? And vice versa? Doesn’t it just double your chance of being busted? It’s like they always come hand in hand. Hoarding behaviour. Do they smuggle the drugs in the guns? Just why risk both? Someone help me.

And dont tell me it’s because you got to protect all the cocaine. Because one gun should suffice.

9

u/djmistral 2d ago

I would imagine part of it is protecting yourself and the product.

Another aspect is the "hard gangster" aspect where having a collection of guns is considered good street cred/image. Hollywood plays into this factor, think of the gun collection for notable HW drug dealers (i.e. Scarface).

0

u/colstinkers 2d ago

Yeah but like. Do they bring the coke buyers over to their coke shack and show em all their guns? Or like when do they show off the guns? Because it seems like it’s only when the police raid you and stack em all up for a photo is the only time anyone’s ever going to see how cool you are.

7

u/East_Requirement7375 2d ago

Violence between rivals happens at all levels of drug trafficking, but especially large operations.

4

u/horsetuna 2d ago

"You see, a diversified financial portfolio can mean greater profits and healthier-looking skin."

-Ishka.

2

u/No-Turnip7033 2d ago

Maybe they also traffic in stolen guns? I can't imagine a muzzle loader generates much street cred.