ALERT and Lethbridge Police seize hundreds of weapons and $20,000 in drugs

On July 15, members of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) and Lethbridge Police executed a search warrant at a home on the 2000 block of 7 Avenue North in Lethbridge, Alberta. The raid uncovered a massive cache that included 19 rifles, three shotguns, nine replica firearms, one pistol, 4,700 rounds of ammunition, 12 prohibited weapons, about 170 knives and edged weapons, and two body‑armor vests, together with roughly $20,000 worth of illicit drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Two suspects were arrested: 47‑year‑old Louise Sansome, already subject to a lifetime firearms prohibition, and 56‑year‑old Terry Adamson, charged with drug possession. Staff Sergeant Trevor Sheppard of ALERT described the seizure as one of the largest ever recorded by the agency, estimating it represents about half of the weapons typically seized in a year. The investigation is ongoing, with ALERT collaborating with the RCMP National Weapons Enforcement Support Team to trace the origins of the firearms, including a rifle previously reported stolen in Brooks, Alberta. Animal control also removed several dogs from the property during the operation.