MONTREAL 鈥� Police in Quebec City say a man suspected of having close ties to the leader of Quebec street gang Blood Family Mafia has been arrested.
City police spokesperson Pierre-Olivier L茅vesque says 28-year-old Guillaume St-Louis Bernier was arrested in Kelowna, B.C., by the RCMP on June 30 following a police stop.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant had been issued for St-Louis Bernier in March for drug trafficking and possession of stolen property charges.
St-Louis Bernier is considered a 鈥渃lose associate鈥� of the gang鈥檚 alleged leader Dave 鈥淧ic鈥� Turmel, who is wanted on gun violence and drug trafficking charges, according to Quebec City police.
Turmel, who is on the lam, has been sought by Quebec City police since July 2023 as part of an operation launched in February 2019 to counter an increase in violence linked to drug trafficking.
L茅vesque says members of Quebec City鈥檚 tactical intervention unit travelled to B.C., to retrieve St-Louis Bernier at just before midnight on Friday, and he is set to appear in court by videoconference on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2024.
The Canadian Press
