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By rdnewsNOW staff

Alberta Locations

Police arrest three men involved in alleged human trafficking operation across Canada

Feb 13, 2025 | 1:08 PM

Three men from Montreal have been arrested and are facing charges in an alleged human trafficking operation that took place across Canada, including Red Deer.

Clyde Elien-Abbot, Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute, and Jean Rodnil Dubois face a total of 23 human trafficking charges after Elien-Abbot was arrested on Jan. 31. The other two were arrested in July of last year.

Police say the arrests were made following search warrants that had taken place in Edmonton, Red Deer, and Montreal.

In the investigation, which police refer to as Project Endgame, was over a year long and involved multiple police agencies led by ALERT’s Human Trafficking unit. They also had assistance from the Edmonton Police Service, RCMP, and the Quebec joint forces Anti-Pimping team.

“Project Endgame exhausted all resources and avenues to bring charges against the suspects and end this cycle of sexualized violence and degradation,” said Staff Sergeant Chris Hayes, ALERT, in a media release.

Their investigation unveiled the operation had stretched through Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and B.C. for over a decade by the accused and potentially others. According to police, the perpetrators had worked in multiple communities including Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Lloydminster, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Cold Lake, and Estevan, Sask.

A number of victims were found and were provided resources and assistance by ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinators. Police believe there could still be more victims.

The accused had allegedly forced victims to perform multiple sexual acts, on multiple clients per day and if the victims questioned the traffickers, they were violently assaulted, degraded, and threatened.

Project Endgame had began in May 2023 following a 911 call to police that a sex worker had been assaulted.

Clyde Elien-Abbot, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:

• Trafficking in persons; Procuring;
• Material benefit from sexual services;
• Advertising sexual services;
• Money laundering; and Animal cruelty.

Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:

• Sexual assault;
• Assault;
• Trafficking in persons;
• Procuring;
• Material benefit from sexual services;
• and Uttering threats.

Jean Rodnil Dubois, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:

• Sexual assault;
• Assault;
• Trafficking in persons;
• Procuring;
• Material benefit from sexual services;
• and Uttering threats.

Elien-Abbot remains in custody and has a bail hearing scheduled for Feb. 19, 2025. Dorcelus-Cetoute and Dubois were both released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court on March 7, 2025.