Lethbridge police have charged a 37-year-old man with drug trafficking and seized nearly 150 doses of fentanyl during a downtown enforcement operation.
On Feb. 25, officers from the Downtown Policing Unit were addressing an illegal encampment along the 200 block of 8 Street North when they located a man with outstanding warrants. Police arrested him and, during a search, recovered 14.3 grams of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia and cash.
Police said the drugs were pre-packaged in bulk and likely intended for sale to other traffickers in the area.
In total, officers executed 70 warrants as part of the one-day operation.
Peter Stephen Many Bears, 37, of Lethbridge, faces charges of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime under $5,000. He remains in custody pending a judicial interim release hearing.
Police said the operation is part of a year-long initiative aimed at reducing crime and disorder in the downtown core. Uniform and covert officers focus on offenders involved in criminal activity and behaviours that negatively affect public safety.
A 2025 Lethbridge police release noted that similar operations that year led to hundreds of warrants being executed, more than 1,000 doses of drugs seized, significant amounts of stolen property recovered and numerous charges laid.
