Edmonton Truck Driver Charged with Drug Importation at Coutts Border Crossing

Source: ASFC

Coutts, Alberta – July 31, 2025 — A 49-year-old truck driver from Edmonton, Trieu Thanh Ngoc Le, is facing serious criminal charges after nearly 67 kilograms of cocaine were discovered in his vehicle at the Canada–U.S. border crossing at Coutts.

On July 28, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers conducted a secondary inspection of a commercial truck entering Canada. Inside, they found a duffel bag filled with cocaine. The driver was arrested on the spot.

The case was turned over to the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) in Alberta, a joint task force including the RCMP, CBSA, and Calgary Police Service, which launched a full criminal investigation.

The accused is charged with:

• Importing a controlled substance (Section 6(1), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (Section 5(2))

• Smuggling into Canada (Section 59, Customs Act)

Le is scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Lethbridge on July 31, 2025.

“This seizure highlights the effectiveness of our detection systems and the importance of inter-agency cooperation. Organized crime has no place in Canada.”

— Janalee Bell-Boychuk, CBSA Prairie Region

“We are united in our mission to protect Albertans from drug traffickers.”

— Shanon Scott, Calgary Police Service