Baker’s Dozen: Men arrested in connection with massive fentanyl production lab in rural Chilliwack face 13 new charges
Personal trainer Justin Fauth faces 13 new charges, co-accused Carlos Martinez faces 10 in what was one of the largest fentanyl labs dismantled in B.C. history
April 14, 2026
One of two men arrested and charged in what is likely one of the largest fentanyl lab busts in B.C. history now faces 13 more charges of production of a controlled substance.
Justin Fauth was initially charged with one count of production of a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking after an extensive investigation starting in early 2025 led to a raid and arrests on a farm property in Chilliwack on Oct. 2, 2025.
Co-accused Carlos Martinez faced the same initial two charges as Fauth and now faces 10 more counts of production of a controlled substance. All 10 of Martinez’s new charges and 11 of Fauth’s have the same alleged offence date of Oct. 2, 2025 in Chilliwack, while two of the new production of a controlled substance charges for Fauth are on that date but with the location listed as Lindell Beach, a small residential area at the south end of Cultus Lake.
Cop shop show and tell
While a publication ban is in place to protect details and evidence presented at the previous bail hearings, Chilliwack RCMP has scheduled a show-and-tell at the Airport Road detachment on Wednesday (April 15, 2026).
Appearing via video from pre-trial custody, Fauth interrupted the proceedings Tuesday morning to ask that the publication ban previously put in place applied to the new charges.
Both men were denied bail at hearings previously held.
Publication bans on bail proceedings are essentially formalities, in place to protect the accused from reporting on evidence that might later come out at trial.
This type of publication ban is meant to protect trial fairness, essentially to keep the messy, untested, anything-goes bail-hearing material from contaminating a future trial, particularly if a jury is involved.
Fauth has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has requested trial in BC Supreme Court by judge and jury. Martinez also pleaded not guilty but requested judge alone, however, since they two are co-accused on the same file, Fauth’s request for a jury takes priority.
Fauth and Martinez were arrested with a significant amount of fentanyl that was allegedly produced at a functioning illegal drug lab at 44843 South Sumas Rd., according to an RCMP statement after the arrests.
A large amount of fentanyl pills worth millions of dollars were seized along with “significant” quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment from the South Sumas property as well as two residences and two storage lockers in Chilliwack. The property where the alleged lab is located is farm land, but is just 400 metres west of the residential neighbourhood of Vedder, 800 metres west of Tyson Elementary School, and 600 metres east of an industrial park at the front of which is Old Yale Brewing.
The raid on the property and arrest of the two men involved significant police, emergency, and other government agency resources, including Health Canada chemists. RCMP officers several units, including the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team (ERT) and the RCMP Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response Team (CLEAR) were involved in executing search warrants on this property and others.
The Chilliwack RCMP invited the media to the detachment on Airport Road Wednesday morning for a news conference where the “results of a clandestine drug lab investigation will be shared,” including a display of seized items.
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Paul J. Henderson
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