Canada has appointed a new fentanyl czar, part of the measures aimed at addressing concerns about border security made by U.S. President Donald Trump in tariff threats.
According to a release by the Prime Minister’s Office, Kevin Brosseau, a former senior law enforcement officer and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s deputy national security and intelligence advisor, has been named to the role.
The release says Brosseau will work with U.S. counterparts and law enforcement agencies to “accelerate Canada’s ongoing work to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the fentanyl trade.”
“Canada needs a fentanyl czar that will co-ordinate between agencies, move quickly to tackle challenges and bring over 20 years of RCMP experience to a crisis that is plaguing our communities,” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said in a statement.
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McGuinty remains responsible for both the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as the minister of public safety.
Trump previously threatened to impose tariffs on all imports from Canada unless it worked to stop the flow of fentanyl and migrants across the border.
After Trump temporarily delayed imposing those tariffs, Trudeau said last Monday that Canada would introduce new measures to address the president’s concern.
In recent months, Trump has pointed to the flow of illegal fentanyl into the U.S. as a primary reason for his threats of tariffs.
White House officials say Canada and Mexico are conduits for shipments of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals into the U.S. in small packages that are not often inspected.
Public data shows 0.2 per cent of all fentanyl seized in the U.S. comes from the Canadian border, while the vast majority originates from the southern border.
— With files from Reuters
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