Trump complains about Canada — but new data shows spike in U.S. drugs and guns coming north
CBC
President Donald Trump claims he's targeting Canada with punishing tariffs on all our goods because he's concerned about the country's supposedly lax approach to fentanyl and migrants.
But new data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) shows Canada has a reason to worry about what's pouring in from the U.S.
There's been an influx of illegal American drugs and guns, which experts and law enforcement say are fuelling crime, death and addiction on this side of the border, too.
CBSA is seizing many more drugs, prohibited weapons and firearms than they were just two years ago, according to figures compiled by the border agency and shared with CBC News.
In fact, when looking at weight alone, Canadian officials seized more illegal drugs coming from the U.S. last year than what the Americans captured on their side of the 49th parallel.
"We live next door to the largest weapons market in the world, the largest drug market in the world. There are inherent — and significant — spillover effects," said Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and an expert on border security.
In almost every category measured by CBSA, the number of illegal goods captured coming into this country is on the upswing.
Notably, there's been an eye-popping increase in Canada-bound drugs seized by border officials.
In 2022, for example, CBSA nabbed 3.8 million grams of drugs coming in from the U.S. — last year that figure climbed to 8.3 million grams. That's a 118 per cent increase in two years' time.
CBSA measures cannabis, hashish, cocaine and crack, heroin, some opioids (like opium, methadone and morphine) and drug-related precursor chemicals seized in grams.
A recent Toronto drug bust shows exactly what Canada is grappling with: police captured 835 kilograms of cocaine in January, product they say was likely manufactured by a Mexican cartel and then moved into Canada through the U.S.
There's also a spike in the number of drug "dosages" captured by CBSA.
In 2022, there were 112,576 dosages seized by border officials. That number more than tripled to 469,996 dosages in 2024, according to CBSA figures.
CBSA measures some opioids and other drugs and drug-related chemicals in dosages.
In the otherwise quiet halls of Oakridge Presbyterian Church in west London, Ont., on a weekday afternoon, a rhythmic thud echoes through the building.
In a corroding American democracy, there's one guardrail still standing. The court system. President Donald Trump is testing it, he's pushing it, but so far has not kicked it aside.
Speaking with reporters in Washington, D.C. following meetings on trade Wednesday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said Canada hopefully won't make concessions to the United States amid threats of economic tariffs.
Canadian flags are flying off the shelves of two Dartmouth flag stores ahead of the weekend.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says meetings this week in Washington, D.C., have shown her there's widespread opposition to potential U.S. tariffs, and it's coming from both sides of the political spectrum.
Montreal-area school boards have already begun announcing closures on the eve of one of the biggest winter storms of the season.
The former owner of a Winnipeg bagel shop apologized for the role he played in a high-level drug operation in court on Wednesday, before being taken into custody to begin serving a prison sentence of more than four years.
After British Columbia Premier David Eby and fellow premiers emerged from a White House meeting with advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, he wanted to make something clear — Canada would not become the 51st state.
Summerside business owners and facility managers say disturbances caused by the city's power issues are causing frustration in the community.
Canada's newly appointed fentanyl czar says his goal is to bring the already low percentage of the deadly opioid smuggled south into the United States down to zero.
Yukon has set the cap on rent increases this year at two per cent.
The NDP's national campaign director has sent a memo to all candidates and campaign staff warning them to be prepared for a snap federal election as early as March 10.
The former CEO of Alberta Health Services has filed a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit against AHS and the province, claiming she was fired because she'd launched an investigation and forensic audit into various contracts and was reassessing deals she had concluded were overpriced with private surgical companies she said had links to government officials.