Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter

DEA threat assessment points to fentanyl ‘super laboratories’ in Canada

May 15, 2025 | 12:42 PM

WASHINGTON — The United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s latest threat assessment says fentanyl “super laboratories” in Canada are a growing source of concern.

U.S. President Donald Trump has used cross-border traffic in the deadly drug to justify hitting imports of Canadian goods with tariffs.

The annual report says that while the estimated volume of fentanyl coming from Canada is substantially lower than the amount entering the U.S. from Mexico, “these operations have the potential to expand.”

The DEA pointed out that the RCMP dismantled a sophisticated drug lab in British Columbia last October.

Canada was not mentioned once in the 2024 drug threat assessment.

Trump hit Canada with economywide tariffs in March after declaring an emergency at the northern border, then partially paused the tariffs a few days later for imports compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the Lethbridge News Now newsletter here. You can also download the Lethbridge News Now mobile app in the Google Play and the Apple App Stores.