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Drug seizures drop 55% at Canada-U.S. border, officials tell Congress
🇨🇦 Canada /Elections & Politics

Drug seizures drop 55% at Canada-U.S. border, officials tell Congress

From Global News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a 55% drop in drug seizures at the Canada-U.S. border compared to last year.
  • Officials stated that drug smuggling is now primarily occurring via the U.S.-Mexico border and then transported north.
  • Republican lawmakers claim Mexican cartels are using Canada as a route, though Canadian officials largely view fentanyl as a domestic issue.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials reported a significant decrease in drug seizures at the Canadian border, with Acting Deputy Chief Jason Schneider telling a House committee that seizures dropped by 55% compared to the previous year. Schneider noted that while drug seizures have increased in northern regions, the activity is not occurring at the Canada-U.S. border itself. Instead, he explained, officers are finding drugs that have been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border and subsequently transported north.

there’s been a significant drop in drug seizures at the border with Canada.

— Jason SchneiderU.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that there’s been a significant drop in drug seizures at the border with Canada.

Testimony also indicated a decline in apprehensions of undocumented immigrants, down 22% this fiscal year and 67% in 2025 compared to 2024. These statements come as Republican lawmakers allege that Mexican cartels are increasingly using Canada as a transit point due to increased enforcement at the U.S. southern border. Representative Sheri Biggs claimed that cartels already operate in Canada, with fentanyl precursors entering North America through Vancouver and being processed into fentanyl for smuggling across the northern border.

seizures at the United States’ northern border had dropped by 55 per cent compared to last year.

— Jason SchneiderActing Deputy Chief Jason Schneider told the House committee on border security and enforcement that seizures at the United States’ northern border had dropped by 55 per cent compared to last year.

Canadian officials, however, have largely characterized Canada's fentanyl problem as domestic, with the RCMP stating there is not a pervasive cartel presence. This contrasts with claims made by members of the Trump administration, despite U.S. government data showing minimal fentanyl seizures at the Canada-U.S. border compared to the Mexico border. Former President Donald Trump previously declared an emergency at the northern border to impose tariffs on Canada, which were later removed. He subsequently implemented a 10% global tariff, with exceptions for goods compliant under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.

Apprehensions are down around 22 per cent this fiscal year, he said, and they decreased 67 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024.

— Jason SchneiderSchneider also told lawmakers that there’s been a decline in the number of apprehensions of undocumented immigrants.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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