The Fentanyl Lie

The Fentanyl Lie

The US Administration has repeatedly lied about a so-called “Fentanyl Crisis” with the drug supposed flowing freely over the US border.

Spoiler alert: Now I don’t mean to point the finger at Mexico, they have enough challenges, but seriously the crisis is definitely not happening at the Canadian border.

CA🔁US - How Much Fentanyl Flows from Canada to the U.S.?

Contrary to some recent political claims, the amount of fentanyl flowing from Canada to the United States is very small. Here’s a breakdown of the facts:

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📉 Fentanyl and the Northern Border

• Less than 1% of fentanyl entering the U.S. is linked to Canadian sources.
• Between 2022 and 2024, only 27 kilograms of fentanyl were seized at the northern border, compared to over 28,000 kilograms at the southern border with Mexico.
• In fiscal year 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 33.6 kilograms seized at the northern border—more than the previous three years combined, but still a tiny fraction compared to Mexico source.
• Here is a look at fentanyl traffic across US borders, some fancy graphics updated monthly USAFacts
• A good, recent article from NetNewsLedger
• New data shows spike in US drugs and guns coming north: cbc.ca

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🌍 Where Does Most Fentanyl Come From?

• Mexico is the primary source, producing fentanyl using precursor chemicals from China.
• According to the Congressional Research Service, 98% of fentanyl entering the U.S. comes via Mexico.

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🛡️ Canada’s Enforcement Efforts

• Canada has appointed a Fentanyl Czar and invested over $1.3 billion in border security and drug enforcement.
• Recent operations like Operation Blizzard led to thousands of drug seizures, though only a small portion was destined for the U.S.
• Canada has deployed drones, helicopters, and surveillance towers to monitor border activity.
• FINTRAC’s Operational Alert highlights efforts to disrupt money laundering tied to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

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⚠️ Political Context

• The twice impeached, convicted US President cited fentanyl, without evidence, as a reason for imposing 35% tariffs on Canadian goods, claiming a “massive” flow from Canada.
• Experts and fact-checkers widely dispute this claim, calling it misleading and inconsistent with federal data source.

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The Reality: While Canada is actively fighting fentanyl trafficking, the data shows that the vast majority of fentanyl entering the U.S. comes from Mexico—not Canada.