Clandestine Lab Dismantled - Niagara Falls

On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, Detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Major Drugs and Gangs Unit, assisted by members of the 2 District Street Crime Unit (Niagara Falls/Niagara on the Lake), obtained a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) search warrant for a private residence on Brookside Drive in the City of Niagara Falls. The warrant resulted in the discovery and seizure of a clandestine drug laboratory with four persons being arrested.

As a result, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Clandestine Laboratory Investigative Response Team in conjunction the OPP UCRT Team and Durham Regional Police Synthetic Drug Officers were called in to execute the warrant and assist with dismantling the lab safely. Niagara Falls Fire Department and Niagara EMS were on standby in the area to assist with the potential hazards.

The search resulted in the seizure of the following:

·         Forty-two (42) 20-litre pails of suspected liquid methamphetamine.

·         Seventeen (17) kilograms of suspected crystal methamphetamine.

·         $6200.00 in CAD currency.

·         A 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Further confirmation is required through expert analysis, but Detectives estimate that each pail that was seized could yield approximately 17.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. The total estimated yield of this seizure is being estimated at approximately 752 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth approximately 3.5 million dollars.

The accused parties and criminal charges for this incident are as follows:

32-year-old Kristopher BURNETT-ACKERMAN of Niagara Falls is charged with the following offences:

·         Production of a Scheduled I Substance (Crystal Meth)

·         Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking (Crystal Meth)

·         Possess Restricted Firearm without holding a Licence

·         Possession of a Restricted Firearm Knowingly Not Holding Licence

·         Careless Storage of a Firearm

·         Fail to Comply with Release Order

25-year-old Veronika GOFFIN of Niagara Falls is charged with the following offences:

·         Production of a Scheduled I Substance (Crystal Meth)

·         Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking (Crystal Meth)

·         Possess Restricted Firearm without holding a Licence

·         Possession of a Restricted Firearm Knowingly Not Holding Licence

·         Careless Storage of a Firearm

25-year-old Ricardo YANEZ a resident of Victorville, California, U.S.A. is charged with the following offences:  

·         Production of a Scheduled I Substance (Crystal Meth)

·         Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking (Crystal Meth)

·         Possess Restricted Firearm without holding a Licence

·         Possession of a Restricted Firearm Knowingly Not Holding Licence

·         Careless Storage of a Firearm

·         Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000

23-year-old Brandon FUENTES ESCALARA a resident of Victorville, California, U.S.A. is charged with the following offences:

·         Production of a Scheduled I Substance (Crystal Meth)

·         Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking (Crystal Meth)

·         Possess Restricted Firearm without holding a Licence

·         Possession of a Restricted Firearm Knowingly Not Holding Licence

·         Careless Storage of a Firearm

·         Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000

All four accused persons were held in custody and attended a bail hearing on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse, located at 59 Church Street, in the City of St. Catharines. They have all been held in custody pending future scheduled court appearances.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service’s Major Drug Unit at 905-688-4111.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to people who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest.

NRPS Incident 25-147965