Ottawa has named Kevin Brosseau—once a deputy national security and intelligence adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—as Canada’s new “fentanyl czar.” This comes amid a tense standoff with Washington, which has threatened crippling tariffs unless Canada aggressively tackles the illicit fentanyl trade.
Trudeau’s office announced the appointment late Tuesday. According to a government statement, the new czar will “accelerate Canada’s ongoing work to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the fentanyl trade.” The prime minister, who recently reached a temporary truce with Washington to avoid sweeping tariffs, hopes this decision will calm nerves and prove Canada is serious about shutting down fentanyl pipelines.
Ottawa has committed to a $1.3 billion border security plan intended to revolutionize how Canada detects and disrupts fentanyl trafficking. The plan calls for a fleet of new helicopters and advanced surveillance technology, while also boosting personnel at critical border points.
On top of this, Trudeau’s administration intends to designate cartels as terrorist organizations, imposing harsher penalties on anyone collaborating with them. High-risk border crossings will be monitored around the clock in an effort to deter smugglers, and a proposed Canada–US Joint Strike Force will target organized crime and money laundering rings operating with disturbing ease. The government also plans to launch a $200 million intelligence directive devoted exclusively to dismantling fentanyl networks.
Brosseau’s mandate also tackle concerns about money laundering, particularly the kind that allegedly snakes through Canada’s big banks. Experts warn that if Canada designates cartels as terrorist organizations—another controversial part of Trudeau’s pledge—banks could face more than just bad headlines. They might be obliged to report and freeze more assets, triggering potential reputational damage and sparking deeper interest from US law enforcement.
On paper, Brosseau brings a wealth of experience from his tenure as RCMP deputy commissioner, a role that involved grappling with drug trafficking and national security threats. In practice, some critics suggest he’s just another “suit” from down the hall—an insider who might prove too cozy with the political establishment to intimidate international crime syndicates.
The question now is whether Brosseau’s appointment will be enough to placate the White House. Trudeau insists it will, having touted his “great call with President Trump,” in which Canada’s promise of heightened border security and intelligence-sharing won a brief reprieve from the tariffs. But with critics framing Brosseau as more of a PR figure than a fearless drug-fighting crusader, there’s widespread doubt about Canada’s credibility.
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