Two charged after RCMP seize cocaine, guns and $39,000 in Cold Lake, Bonnyville drug investigation

Cold Lake – Two men are facing multiple drug and firearms charges after a month-long RCMP investigation led to searches in Cold Lake and Bonnyville, where police say they seized approximately 650 grams of suspected cocaine, loaded handguns and ,000 in cash.

Police executed search warrants at two private residences on Sept. 8, one in Cold Lake and the other in Bonnyville.

“The Alberta RCMP is uniquely qualified to bring together a variety of support units to work collaboratively to combat organized crime in rural and indigenous communities,” said Staff Sgt. James Morton, Eastern Alberta District acting assistant district officer. “Operations such as these are time consuming and resource heavy. A joint effort is necessary to ensure we can effectively reduce harm in the communities we police, by targeting those that cause the most harm.”

RCMP say the searches marked the end of an extensive month-long drug trafficking investigation targeting suspected traffickers believed to be active in Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Elizabeth Metis Settlement, Cold Lake First Nations, parts of Saskatchewan and surrounding rural communities.

Cold Lake RCMP General Investigative Section and the Alberta RCMP Rural Organized Crime Team led the investigation, with assistance from Cold Lake RCMP General Duty, Cold Lake RCMP Crime Reduction Unit, Eastern Alberta District RCMP Crime Reduction Unit and Alberta RCMP Police Dog Services.

Police say the searches resulted in the seizure of:

• Approximately 650 grams of suspected cocaine;
• Approximately 60 grams of suspected methamphetamine;
• Approximately 75 ml of GHB;
• 2 loaded handguns;
• Shotgun; and
• Approximately $39,000 Canadian Currency.

Two men facing charges

Pascal Jacques, 48, of Cold Lake, is charged with:

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (x3);
• Possession of proceeds of crime;
• Possession of a prohibited firearm (x2);
• Possession of a firearm obtained by crime;
• Possession of a prohibited item without a valid license (x2);
• Possession of a firearm without a valid license;
• Possession of a prohibited device (x2);
• Possession of a firearm or prohibited device while on a court order (x3).

Graham Black, 39, of Bonnyville, is charged with:

• Trafficking in a controlled substance (x5);
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Both men were held for Judicial Interim Release hearings.

Jacques was remanded into custody and was scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Cold Lake on Sept. 9.

Black was released from custody on a release order and is scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Cold Lake on Oct. 14.

The charges have not been proven in court.

The Alberta Rural Organized Crime Team was created with funding from the Government of Alberta to target organized crime in rural and Indigenous communities across the province.