The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has voiced strong opposition to ending President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, citing concerns over the continued flow of illicit drugs across the northern border. In a memo released this week, the DHS specifically opposed S.J. Res. 37, a bill that the department asserts would effectively terminate Trump’s executive order imposing tariffs on Canada.
“The sustained influx of illicit opioids and other drugs across our Northern Border has profound consequences on our Nation; endangering lives and putting a severe strain on our healthcare system, public services, and communities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized enough fentanyl crossing the Northern Border in 2024 to kill 9.5 million Americans,” the memo stated.
The DHS emphasized that Trump’s tariffs played a crucial role in mobilizing Canada to take stronger measures against the distribution of drugs within its borders. As a result of the tariffs, Canada committed to an additional $900 million USD investment over six years in personnel, security, surveillance technology, and investigative capacity building.
“These actions have had tangible results, including a 66% decline in U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions on the Northern Border,” the memo highlighted. However, the DHS also noted that since President Trump’s election, Canada has yet to execute a major operation against fentanyl, despite possessing superlabs capable of producing up to 95 million potentially lethal doses.
While the DHS expressed concern over Canada’s recent enforcement efforts, it acknowledged a significant drug bust in October 2023. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) dismantled what was described as the “largest, most sophisticated drug superlab” in the country. Located in Falkland, British Columbia, the lab was believed to be operated by a transnational organized crime group engaged in the mass production and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine within Canada and internationally, reports Breitbart News.
Authorities seized enough illicit substances from the lab to produce over 95,500,000 potentially lethal doses, with an estimated street value of $485 million. RCMP Inspector Jillian Wellard likened the operation to a scene from the hit television series Breaking Bad.
“It really does look like Breaking Bad,” Wellard told CBC News. “This endeavor is a two-story building with ten rooms. It’s unbelievable. To put into context, [the fentanyl seized] could have taken the life of every Canadian citizen twice over.”
David Teboul, commander of the RCMP federal policing program in British Columbia and Yukon, called the raid an “unprecedented” moment in Canadian law enforcement, delivering a “decisive blow” to the criminal organization running the superlab.
Despite this major raid, concerns remain about Canada’s ability to combat fentanyl superlabs effectively. A report from the National Post in December 2023 described Canada as a “low-risk, high-profit” hub for fentanyl production. Law enforcement officials have stated that additional federal resources are required to shut down Western Canada’s burgeoning synthetic opioid production, which has drawn international scrutiny, including from President-elect Trump.
The northern border is easily crossed in some ares. Consider also, the hundreds of containers offloading in the port and being driven south. Only 1 in 200 gets inspected, this is abysmal. Weapons, human beings, contraband of all descriptions could be in these huge containers. Canada cannot ignore this threat to Canadians as well as Americans