FBI Director Kash Patel blasted the Canadian government for allowing the flow of fentanyl and suspected terrorists to continue across the U.S.-Canada border unimpeded.
Patel spoke to Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo and told her that U.S. adversaries such as Russia, Iran and China are taking advantage of Canada’s loose border controls to push fentanyl into the U.S.
“So, where’s all the fentanyl trafficking coming from still, where are all the narco-traffickers going to keep bringing this stuff into the country? The northern border,” Patel said.
“Who has to get stepping? Canada,” Patel said.
Patel cited a figure of 85 per cent when referring to the proportion of suspected terrorists entering the U.S. via the northern versus southern borders.
As of Tuesday, no Canadian officials had responded to Patel’s remarks.
He contrasted Canada’s efforts with Mexico’s, suggesting that Mexico had been more cooperative in helping to curb illegal activities along the border, while also brushing off the significance behind Trump’s 51st state comments.
“I don’t care about getting into this debate of making someone the 51st state or not, they (Canada) are our partner in the north and say what they want about Mexico, but they helped us seal the southern border.”
In February, just one month after the Trump administration assumed office, illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border went down 94 per cent from the same time last year.
In the final months of former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s term, the Privy Council appointed a Fentanyl Czar under significant pressure from Trump.
That same office has now reported a 77 per cent decrease in asylum claims at illegal border crossing points and an overall 90 per cent decrease in illegal crossings from Canada into the U.S.