Cheap Mexican Drugs Forcing Canadian Cartels to Export Meth to Other Countries

Canadian manufacturers of methamphetamine are being pushed our of their own market thanks to a much cheaper product coming from south of the U.S. border, according to a report.

"We're dealing with very sophisticated, I'll say adversaries, who are constantly evolving in terms of the markets they're pursuing. They're constantly evolving in terms of their means of concealment. And so the challenge that we have is to work with partners to do our best to keep ahead of that," said Canada Border Services Agency vice-president Aaron McCrorie.

Canada is increasingly becoming a "source country" for the drug as a result of its role in exporting it, with international crime groups depending on the country's ports to circulate the drug, according to an October 2023 report from Criminal Intelligence Service Canada obtained by the IJF and Postmedia.

The report indicates that cheaper, high quality meth produced in Mexico is making it difficult for Canadian manufacturers to compete in local markets. Some of the product from Mexico has also reached international markets via Canadian ports.

"For the foreseeable future, Canada will continue to be a source country for international methamphetamine markets, as well as, increasingly, a destination and transit country for Mexican-sourced methamphetamine," said the document.

According to Cpl. Arash Seyed of the RCMP's federal serious and organized crime unit, police have "seen organized crime groups co-mingling methamphetamine with other exported goods such as maple syrup, canola oil and other Canadian commodities."

Furthermore, the document reveals that Canada operating as a hub for international meth trade is not news to Canadian federal officials.

"This North American meth problem has really surged over the last few years. I mean, it's always been at a high level, but I think it is really going up and up and up every year," continued McCrorie.