Jonathan “Rambo” Bouchard, a 32-year-old who was well known to police in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, was found dead on the morning of January 6, 2026 in the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
One or more gunmen fired at him repeatedly, hitting him twice in the head after he left a gym on Jamaica St.
His murder is believed to part of the Quebec turf wars that has been ongoing for several years. The turf war, as it has extended into other countries, has been coined a ‘Royalty War’ by Montreal news outlets as the killings seem to be over royalties being paid for drug shipments.
The murder occurred on Jamaica Street, between Brasilia and Guatemala streets, a few hundred meters from the Xavic gym.
Who Was Jonathan Bouchard?
“Rambo” during his 2012 arrest.
The former Saguenay resident has notably been sentenced several times in recent years to prison terms related to drug trafficking.
First, at age 19, he had been sentenced to 30 months in prison during Operation Insulin in 2013 and then to 40 months in detention following his arrest during Operation Palme in 2019.
During Operation Palme, a joint operation between the Sûreté du Québec’s Integrated Regional Squad (ERM) and the Saguenay Police Service, Bouchard was involved in distribution, transporting large quantities of drugs from Montreal to the region, including one of his last shipments of 26,000 methamphetamine tablets, which was intercepted by police.
“Rambo” was considered the leading figure in drug trafficking in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada.
His mother, brother, and three other accomplices were also arrested during the operation. At the time, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) described Bouchard as “the main distributor of cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, hashish, and counterfeit medications from Montreal.”
His defense lawyer Pierre Gagnon, after learning of his killing in Mexico, recalled that the man nicknamed “Rambo” in the criminal underworld was a respectful client who appreciated the work done by his lawyer.
“He was one of my clients whom I valued and who made sure to acknowledge the work you did for him. When discussing a sentence with the Crown, I explained what was being proposed to him, and he didn’t criticize it much. He told me that if it was the best thing I could get, I should go ahead with it.”
“He was understanding and said he was ready to take responsibility for the actions he had taken and was aware that he was in the world of crime,” notes Me Pierre Gagnon. Bouchard had pleaded guilty in 2019, showing remorse at the time too.
“I started representing him at the beginning of his majority. He had then been convicted of assault following fights,” recalls Mr. Gagnon.
“Over time, various drug-related situations arose. At first, it wasn’t anything major, but it grew over time. It seemed to me like the beginning of a more intense career. He was also sentenced to prison terms of 30 and 40 months for drug-related crimes,” the criminal lawyer continued.
Over the past few years, Jonathan Bouchard had reportedly survived at least one murder attempt.
Two years ago in Montreal, he had been invited to a meeting by an acquaintance, but he had suspected something. Bouchard did not go to the meeting alone and had taken the precaution of wearing a bulletproof vest. He sur
