Photo: X / CdnOrgC
In a Winnipeg courtroom, shocking details emerged about how a drug dealer, known only as Agent 66, became a paid informant for the RCMP in an effort to take down one of Canada’s most well-known organized crime members.
The trial is centered on Damion Ryan, a full-patch Hells Angel and member of the Wolfpack gang. Police have described him as “one of the most prolific organized crime members in our country.” He was arrested in 2022 as part of Project Divergent, a multi-year RCMP investigation into drug trafficking networks across Canada.
Court heard that Agent 66 was once a long-time drug dealer himself. He began selling cannabis at just 12 years old and later moved into cocaine dealing as a teenager. Over the years, he saved up a large sum — about $368,000 — hoping it would allow him to leave the drug world behind.
But when he tried to “clean” this money through a supplier, that money was stolen. The loss left him angry and bitter. He told the court, “The whole point of me cleaning it was because I wanted out. I was angry.”
This frustration became the main reason he decided to co-operate with police.
After leaving jail in 2019, the dealer agreed to work with the RCMP starting in 2020. He was given the code name Agent 66.
The agreement was not small — RCMP promised him over $380,000 for one phase of the investigation, with another $200,000 to be paid once the case ended. When he learned that the investigation involved Damion Ryan, a dangerous and influential gangster, he asked for more money, saying he was at higher risk.
In total, RCMP agreed to pay him over $900,000, making him one of the highest-paid informants in Canadian history.
During the investigation, police provided him with:
Housing
Food
A vehicle
Weekly living money of $1,100
He also used RCMP-provided phones and encrypted apps like Signal and Whisper to record calls, take screenshots, and keep notes about drug deals.
Court was told that Agent 66 did not work alone. Four RCMP officers guided him throughout the operation. They helped him prepare for meetings, plan conversations, and arrange payments.
Audio recordings played in court revealed how Agent 66 built contacts with people connected to large-scale drug trafficking.
In one call, a man identified as Andre Steele offered him 30 ounces of methamphetamine.
Agent 66 paid Steele $10,000 for an introduction to a supplier in British Columbia.
Later, he met Benito B, another contact, who agreed to sell him three kilograms of meth at $17,000 per kilo, with promises of bigger deals in the future.
A key part of the trial is how Agent 66 tried to connect with Damion Ryan.
In an April 2021 recording, Steele told him, “He’s kind of exclusive…. I’ll hit him up … on Signal.” This suggested that Ryan was cautious and selective about who he dealt with.
Agent 66 also asked about obtaining Hells Angels or Wolfpack clothing, known as “support gear,” so he could look more convincing in future deals.
As the operation grew, undercover RCMP officers began buying drugs through the network to confirm the connections. Court heard they purchased methamphetamine and other drugs with Agent 66’s help.
Recordings also revealed conversations about fentanyl and even carfentanil, a deadly synthetic opioid said to be 100 times stronger than fentanyl. At one point, Benito B claimed he had links to the Hells Angels and could provide “protection” for drug shipments.
Even when some members of the network were jailed, the conversations continued.
Court heard about messages exchanged with Steele while he was in Milner Ridge jail. Some participants worried that his Facebook activity while behind bars could expose the group’s operations.
Ryan and nearly two dozen others were arrested during Project Divergent in 2022. Manitoba RCMP said they seized $70 million worth of drugs and uncovered a massive organized crime network stretching across provinces and into other countries.
Ryan, who was 41 at the time of arrest, now faces a long and complicated trial in Manitoba Court of King’s Bench. He is currently without a lawyer but is being assisted by a “friend of the court,” lawyer Amanda Sansregret.
Crown attorneys Kate Henley and Janna Hyman are leading the prosecution. Agent 66 is expected to spend all of next week continuing his testimony, walking the court through his detailed records, recordings, and notes.
For now, the court is hearing a mix of audio recordings, message screenshots, and live testimony that sheds light on how one man’s anger over stolen money turned into one of the RCMP’s most significant undercover operations against organized crime.
A former drug dealer, angry after losing his hidden savings, agreed to work as a paid informant for the RCMP. Known as Agent 66, he helped investigators infiltrate networks linked to Hells Angel Damion Ryan. Recordings and testimony reveal drug deals involving meth, fentanyl, and carfentanil, showing how deep and dangerous the operation became. The trial continues, with more testimony expected in the coming days.
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