Peter Navarro Claims Canada Is ‘Taken Over’ by Crime Gangs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a controversial statement, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro asserted that Canada has been ‘taken over’ by crime gangs during an appearance on Fox News‘ Special Report on March 5.

Navarro’s remarks came as he discussed the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, which he justified by claiming that Canada is failing to adequately prevent the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States. Despite his claims, statistics show that nearly 98% of fentanyl seized in 2024 was intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border, with less than 1% coming from Canada.

‘What I wanna say to every world leader who gets up in arms when all we’re asking for is fairness and to have them stop killing our people is please, listen to us,’ Navarro said during the segment, underscoring the urgency of addressing the fentanyl crisis.

Navarro further accused Canadian authorities of inadequately controlling the influx of counterfeit drugs into the U.S., stating, ‘Canada has been taken over, Bret, by Mexican cartels. They bring up these pill presses and printers, and the medicines that they fake, you can’t tell the difference.’

Host Bret Baier challenged Navarro on the existence of specific metrics that would lead to a reassessment of tariffs, asking, ‘Do you have metrics that you are going to set that they have to meet this and then the tariffs go away?’

Navarro responded with a grim statistic, noting, ‘There are 70,000 Americans dying every year, and that’s the low estimate because you don’t pick up all the deaths from the fake Xanax.’

Throughout the interview, Baier acknowledged the severity of the fentanyl crisis but emphasized the need to clarify the rationale behind tariff policies. ‘I think everybody’s on board on the fentanyl threat and the fentanyl deaths,’ he remarked, adding that there are lingering questions regarding future tariff actions.

In the ongoing discourse surrounding fentanyl and trade, Navarro reiterated the expectation for both Canada and Mexico to take decisive action against the flow of narcotics, placing some blame on China for its role in the crisis. ‘It’s up to Mexico and Canada to help us do this,’ he concluded.

The statements by Navarro reflect heightened tensions in U.S.-Canada relations as the authorities grapple with the implications of drug trafficking and border security.