By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban
Montreal police (SPVM), working in tandem with Quebec Provincial Police (SQ), carried out a sweeping operation last Thursday that led to the arrest of 11 men believed to be central figures in Quebec’s criminal networks.
The result of a three-year investigation, the coordinated action dubbed Project Alliance targeted individuals connected to the Mafia, the Hells Angels, and criminal street gangs and focused on solving a series of murders and attempted murders that occurred between 2011 and 2021.
The raids unfolded across Montreal, Laval, Blainville, Shefford, Saint-Lazare, Repentigny, Quebec City, and Rosemère. Nearly 150 officers participated in the operation. Among those in custody are alleged high-ranking members of Montreal’s organized crime scene. Notably, Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, the son of former crime boss Vito Rizzuto, was apprehended. Another alleged leader, Stefano Sollecito, 57, was also arrested. The list of suspects includes Davide Barberio, 45, Michel Cliche, 54, Pietro D’Adamo, 54, Patrick Gilbert, 51, Daniele Guarna, 45, Richard Larivière, 57, Darius Perry, 27, Vito Salvaggio, 50, and Nicola Spagnolo, 50.
Five additional suspects remain wanted by police: Sacha Krolik, 56; Pierry Philogène, 38; Mario Sollecito, 54; Gianpietro Tiberio, 52; and Jean-Ismel Zéphir, 46. Authorities are urging anyone with information about their whereabouts to come forward.
Three of those arrested were taken into custody while already incarcerated on unrelated matters. All 11 suspects were detained on outstanding warrants, and police allege they played various roles-from masterminds to direct participants and collaborators-in a string of murders and attempted murders linked to organized crime over the past decade.
According to investigators, the suspects are connected not only to the traditional Mafia, but also to the Hells Angels and criminalized street gangs from other communities. Project Alliance was designed to untangle the web of alliances and rivalries that developed after the death of Vito Rizzuto and to address the instability that followed. No new search warrants were executed during the operation, as police had already secured key evidence in earlier phases of the investigation.
Police officials believe this operation will further destabilize criminal networks that have grown under various fractions in the absence of the unifying force that Vito Rizzuto once provided. The impact is expected to be significant, as the individuals arrested are alleged to have orchestrated or participated in some of the most serious violent crimes that occurred in Quebec in recent years.
For families of victims, the arrests may offer long-awaited answers and move several cold cases forward in the justice system. Officials emphasize that, while this is a major step, their work continues as they seek to bring the remaining suspects into custody and prevent further violence. n