Just before 1 a. m. today, Thursday, Jul. 23, 2026, the Lennox and Addington (L& A) County Detachment of the OPP received a tip from Peel Regional Police that had been tracking the phone of a missing youth from Quebec. Officers were able to locate that phone at an ONRoute parking lot on Highway 401 in Odessa, which is situated just west of Kingston and east of Napanee. The L& A OPP confirmed with Kingstonist that they found the vehicle associated with the phone.
“Following an investigation, police determined that two of the vehicle passengers were victims of human trafficking,” the OPP said in a press release later in the day, noting that officers also discovered “just under 500 grams of suspected cocaine,” along with several weapons and nearly $1,500 in cash.
Police seized cellphones, scales, and “materials associated with drug and human trafficking,” according to the OPP.
Three individuals were taken into custody:
Mathis Bourgeois, 23, from Laval, Quebec Joseph-Jean Pevensly, 29, from Longueuil, Quebec A youth from Magog, Quebec whose name cannot be released due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act
The OPP stated that all three suspects faced charges including:
Possession of cocaine for trafficking purposes Human trafficking Human trafficking involving someone under 18Material benefit from human trafficking Material benefit from human trafficking involving someone under 18Possession of property obtained through crime valued under $5,000
Bourgeois was additionally charged with:
Possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes Two counts of failure to comply with probation orders Driving while having liquor readily available Driving while having cannabis readily available
The unnamed youth was also charged with:
Possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes Failure to comply with probation orders
According to the OPP, all three accused were held until their bail hearings later that same day in Greater Napanee. The outcomes of those hearings have not been made public.
Provincial Constable Martyn Curran, Media Relations Officer for L& A OPP, mentioned that victim services connected with those affected and ensured they were “transported to a place of safety.” Curran confirmed that “to the best of our knowledge,” none of those involved were residents from the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL& A) area.
In response to questions from Kingstonist regarding details about travel directions before stopping at Odessa ONRoute or whether police will share information about victims’ ages-Curran indicated that one unidentified youth is currently aged 17.
Kingstonist has reached out for more details concerning how far they traveled before arriving at this location and if any further information about victims’ ages can be shared. This article will be updated if new details emerge.
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