News from Thunder Bay: WEBEQUIE FIRST NATION, Ont.— Two Webequie First Nation residents are facing drug-trafficking charges after Nishnawbe Aski Authorities Service officers searched a home and seized suspected crack cocaine, cash and items officers say were consistent with pharmaceutical trafficking.

The arrests stem from a July review into suspected medicine trafficking in the local residents. Authorities have not disclosed the quantity or estimated street value of the drugs seized. NAPS says members of its Intelligence Unit executed a search warrant at a residence in Webequie First Nation on Friday, July 24.

The operation included support from the NAPS K9 Unit, Provincial Guns and Gangs Task Force and frontline officers from the Webequie detachment. Officers say the warrant was obtained as part of an ongoing inquiry into drug-trafficking activity in the local residents. During the search, officers reported finding suspected crack cocaine, cash and paraphernalia consistent with medicine trafficking. Caitlin Erika Wabasse, 36, of Webequie First Nation, is charged with: Frances Wabasse, 33, also of Webequie First Nation, is charged with: Both accused have been released from custody with conditions and are expected to appear in court at a later date, according to NAPS.

That maximum does not mean a life sentence would necessarily be imposed following a conviction.

The review remains ongoing. Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking is prohibited undersection 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Cocaine is listed as aSchedule I controlled substanceunder federal law. For a Schedule I substance, a conviction for trafficking or possession for the purpose of trafficking is an indictable offence carrying amaximum sentence of life imprisonment. Section 5(3)(a) does not set a mandatory minimum sentence for the offence. That maximum does not mean a life sentence would necessarily be imposed following a conviction. Sentences depend on the circumstances of an individual case, including the quantity of drugs, the accused person’s role, prior criminal record, aggravating or mitigating factors and the degree of responsibility established before the court. Canadian sentencing law requires a sentence to be proportionate to both the gravity of the offence and the offender’s degree of responsibility. The proceeds-of-crime allegation against Caitlin Erika Wabasse falls undersection 354 of the Criminal Code, which makes it an offence to possess property or proceeds while knowing that all or part of it was obtained directly or indirectly through an indictable offence. Where the value is$5,000 or less, section 355 allows the Crown to proceed either by indictment or summary conviction. If prosecuted by indictment, the maximum sentence istwo years imprisonment. If prosecuted summarily, the Criminal Code’s general penalty is a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to two years less a day, or both, unless another penalty is specifically provided. As with the drug-trafficking allegations, the eventual sentence — if there is a conviction — would depend on the evidence, circumstances and applicable sentencing principles. Pharmaceutical trafficking investigations in Northwestern Ontario First Nations can have consequences extending beyond individual arrests. Authorities services across the region continue to focus resources on disrupting the movement and sale of controlled substances in communities where access to policing, health care, treatment and other supports can be constrained by geography. In this probe, NAPS has not disclosed the amount of suspected crack cocaine seized, its estimated value or additional details about the alleged trafficking activity. None of the charges have been proven in court. Caitlin Erika Wabasse and Frances Wabasse are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law..

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📍 Source: NetNewsLedger · By: NetNewsLedger Staff · 🗓️ August 16, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online