Drug seizures at Canada-U.S. border dropping, Congress hears - BERITAJA

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told a proceeding connected Capitol Hill connected Tuesday that there’s been a important driblet successful drug seizures astatine the separator pinch Canada.

Acting Deputy Chief Jason Schneider told the House committee connected separator information and enforcement that seizures astatine the United States’ bluish separator had dropped by 55 per cent compared to past year.

Drug seizures person accrued successful bluish regions, Schneider noted, but not astatine the separator pinch Canada. He said officers are uncovering narcotics that were smuggled crossed the separator pinch Mexico and transported northbound to the area.

Schneider besides told lawmakers that there’s been a diminution successful the number of apprehensions of undocumented immigrants. Apprehensions are down about 22 per cent this fiscal year, he said, and they decreased 67 per cent successful 2025 compared to 2024.

The grounds came arsenic Republican lawmakers made claims that Mexican cartels are looking to Canada arsenic the United States cracks down connected smuggling astatine its confederate border.

“Central American cartels already person operations successful Canada,” Rep. Sheri Biggs of South Carolina alleged during the hearing. “Fentanyl precursors are brought into North America by the cartels successful Vancouver, made into fentanyl and smuggled crossed the bluish border.”

Canadian officials person acknowledged that Canada faces challenges pinch fentanyl but it’s mostly a home problem. RCMP person said location is not a pervasive cartel beingness successful Canada.

Members of the Trump management person made akin allegations contempt U.S. authorities information showing a minuscule measurement of fentanyl being seized astatine the separator pinch Canada compared pinch Mexico.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin successful June said “the biggest interest we spot is what’s happening connected our confederate separator being pushed up to our bluish border.”

Citing the travel of fentanyl, U.S. President Donald Trump declared an emergency astatine the bluish separator successful bid to deed Canada pinch tariffs past year.

Canada responded to Trump’s stated concerns pinch authorities and backing to boost separator security. But the tariffs remained successful spot until they were knocked down by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year.

Trump replaced the duties pinch a 10 per cent world tariff utilizing Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Those tariffs don’t use to equipment compliant nether the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement connected trade, known successful Canada arsenic CUSMA.

That work will expire aft 150 days unless Congress votes to widen it. The Trump management is looking for a much semipermanent tariff by launching investigations into forced labour successful proviso chains, including successful Canada.

Despite many times presenting information about declining supplier seizures during Tuesday’s hearing, Republicans continued to push separator patrol officials connected the authorities of the separator pinch Canada and fentanyl.

“We’re not seeing a drastic alteration crossed the bluish border,” said Chris Holtzer, the executive head of operations successful U.S Customs and Border Protection’s section operations office.

The about the section has seen was a two-pound seizure of fentanyl successful Blaine, Wash., Holtzer said. He added that “the bulk mostly of what we spot is coming crossed the southwest border.”

Canada and the United States stock the longest onshore separator of immoderate 2 countries successful the world. The separator patrol officials said of immoderate of the challenges that situation could coming and ways the section is responding pinch boots connected the crushed and caller technologies.

Schneider said the section is boosting its beingness astatine the bluish separator and is looking to person 3,500 separator patrol agents assigned to the area successful the very adjacent future.