Becoming a Canadian anti -Fentanyl tycoon, Kevin Brosseau wants to prevent Fentanyl flow to prevent drug shock deaths and resolve pressure from the United States.
In February, Canada appointed Kevin Brosseau, officials with 20 years of public safety and national security, as the country’s first “anti -Fentanyl boss”, with the task of supervising Canada’s efforts to destroy the Fentanyl trading network.
Brosseau has a master’s degree in law of Harvard Law School, who plays the role of security and intelligence for the Prime Minister. He currently coordinates the work of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and government agencies responsible for managing precursors used to produce Fentanyl. At the same time, he was also a Canadian clue to the United States on Fentanyl, when Ottawa officials hope to be able to prevent the escalating trade war.
Brosseau told American media this month that he wanted to show that Canada was increasing security along the common border, after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on goods on the country on the grounds that Canada had not done much to prevent Fentanyl flow into the US.
“I hope to promote the work that thousands of employees in Canada and the United States are doing, helping to connect groups and ensure cooperation,” he said.
Fentanyl is one of the strong analgesic drugs belonging to the opioid group, higher than heroin and morphine up to 50-100 times. The abuse of Fentanyl has killed nearly 75,000 people in the US in 2023, according to the Center for Control and Prevention of American epidemics.
Weapons and addictive drugs were seized during the super -set of modulation rooms in British Columbia in October 2024. Image: AP
Many Canadians consider Mr. Trump’s statement to “justify” the trade war against the country, when the US President repeatedly mentioned the idea of merging Canada through economic power.
Last year, the number of Fentanyl seized by the US border agency at the northern border with Canada was only 0.2% of more than 9,500 kg seized at the southern border with Mexico. In the last two months of last year, the amount of fentanyl seized on the border with Canada was 4.5 kg.
Experts say that the amount of fentanyl flowing from Canada to the US is not an emergency, but with pressure from Mr. Trump, Canadian officials are trying their best to prove that Canada attaches great importance to border security and the appointment of anti -Fentanyl bosses is such a move.
Mr. Brosseau emphasized his determination to control the border. “Bringing this number to 0 is our goal,” Mr. Brosseau said when he visited a border gate in Ontario on the first day of inauguration. “Whether half a pound or 4.5 kg, we all know they can cause many deaths.”
Security experts want that, in addition to resolving pressure from the US, Canada needs to pay attention to their own opioid crisis and devote more resources to this problem.
According to Canadian health officials, nearly 50,000 people have died of overdose of Opioid since 2016, when Fentanyl raging in many places like Vancouver or Bristish Columbia, the area with the highest drug abuse rate in North America. In 2016, British Columbia must declare an emergency of public health related to the wave of increasing the number of deaths from drug shock.
“Fentanyl is a serious problem because the number of deaths that it causes, not just the issue of exports to the US is taxed,” Bob Paulson, former Canadian Royal Police Commissioner and was once Brosseau’s superior.
Paulson described Brosseau as “assertive leader” with excellent communication ability, helping him to connect people to achieve results. “He is not the one who only speaks, but the actor. He is interested in completing the mission.”
Cheyenne Johnson, CEO of British Columbia Center for the use of addictive substances based in Vancouver, hope Mr. Brosseau will not only enhance law enforcement but also take measures to help Fentanyl users detox. “We have not made much progress,” she said. “There are always people who want to abuse Fentanyl, the focus must be developing detox solutions and reducing harm.”
Meanwhile, Ray Donovan, former leader of the US anti -drug force (DEA), assessed that Canada would make a mistake if he thought that the concerns about the Border Security of the Trump administration were just justifying the tariff attack. He said the amount of fentanyl from Canada to the US could actually be higher than the border agency’s data.
“If you think this is just a commercial issue, I assert it is wrong. This is not only a commercial issue, but also a border security,” he said.
Kevin Brosseau (middle) during the visit to Ontario, Canada in February. Photo: AP
Recent raids on Fentanyl modulation facilities have shown that the scale of this drug is expanding and the increase of organized criminals in Canada, according to Donovan.
In October 20024, Canadian police raided a “super -room” in British Columbia and seized hundreds of kilograms of Fentanyl and ice. This facility has enough chemicals to operate for weeks and can prepare up to 95 million fentanyl doses, according to the police.
“It is a scary sign that the problem is more serious. The first thing I want to say is that they need to understand this threat,” Donovan said. He recommends that Mr. Brosseau came to Mexico to learn about the role of the criminal gangs in the country in Canada.
Canada followed the Mexican Gangs on the list of terrorist organizations, and cooperated with Washington to establish a common force against organized crimes, drug trafficking and money laundering.
Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, in charge of the Canadian border patrol force and police force, said that the country’s officials were also worried about the growing presence of gangs.
“We have a very close relationship with the US law enforcement force. We need to continue that,” he said.
Canada has pledged to invest $ 900 million for 6 years to improve border security, through professional dogs, drones, helicopters and monitoring towers, as well as deploying border agents. The Canadian government is also accelerating efforts to monitor and control better quality into Canada, mainly from China.
Daniel Anson, director of intelligence and investigation under the Canadian border management agency, affirmed that “we will definitely not become a weak link” for gangs to take advantage of to pour fentanyl into the United States.
Fentanyl and a number of addictive drugs were displayed at a press conference on drug arrest in Surrey, British Columbia, in February 2023. Image: CBC
Mr. Brosseau used to be the police chief of Manitoba province, where drug and drug abuse issues were considered to be the top priority.
“You can see the pain in his eyes when you hear about a dead person somewhere,” said David Chartrand, President of Manitoba Metis Federation representing indigenous and French people.
Chartrand still remembered the image of Brosseau angry when he heard that drug addicts beat an older man in the village of Duck Bay, Manitoba province to rob the prescribed drugs. Local police were later asked to strengthen this remote village patrol to arrest offenders and send a strong message that violence would not be tolerated.
“He wrath about this issue and tried to solve it,” Chartrand said.