Juarez cartel smuggles illegal immigrants across Canadian border: report
Mexican cartel networks are established and their influence and operations in Canada have grown recently, according to a new CBSA report.
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Smugglers are using social media videos to advertise their services, according to a report obtained by Radio-Canada. Despite fewer interceptions, online ads from Juarez cartel members remain numerous.
These inscriptions reference former Juarez cartel boss Amado Carrillo Fuentes, who died in 1997.
Fuentes, "Lord of the Skies," was known for using Boeing 727s to transport cocaine. His cartel remains active in northern Mexico, shifting focus to human trafficking.
The Juarez cartel has also been linked to illegal border crossings between Canada and the United States, reported the state broadcaster.
In April 2023, then U.S. homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas shared confidential information about cross-border crime with Marco Mendicino, who was serving as Canada's public safety minister.Â
The RCMP received a document detailing how cartels have expanded their presence in Canada. Criminal organizations are exploiting established migration routes to smuggle people and illegal goods across the U.S.-Canada border, as first reported by Radio-Canada.
Canadian authorities have observed criminal groups like the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which was recently added to the list of terrorist organizations.
The RCMP warned the government at the time that criminal networks may expand their operations and abuse vulnerable individuals.Â
Mexican cartel networks are established and their influence and operations in Canada have grown recently, according to a new CBSA report, obtained by Radio-Canada. Criminal groups are exploiting security weaknesses along the Canada-U.S. border to smuggle humans, drugs and firearms, it said.
Despite increased surveillance and activity at the border, resulting in fewer clandestine passages, criminal networks remain active on social media and are opting for a strategic pause. They are being more discreet to avoid losing customers due to this increased risk.Â
The number of illegal border crossings between southern Quebec and the U.S. has decreased to its lowest point since November 2022, reported Radio-Canada.
The RCMP is aware of the Juarez cartel announcements and is continuously collecting intelligence on all criminal activities, including Mexican cartels, related to the Canadian-U.S. border, a spokesperson revealed.
Despite the closure of Roxham Road, the number of illegal immigrants entering Canada by air has increased, with many requesting passage to New York State from Québec.
Border apprehensions in the Swanton sector, which includes northern New York, Vermont, and part of New Hampshire, dropped from a record high of over 3,300 last June to only 54 this March.
Canadian and U.S. officers remain concerned about the fate of migrants who are victims of smuggler networks that exploit them financially and put their lives at risk.
Marc Miller, prior to being shuffled out as immigration minister, said Mexican cartels may be involved in the surge of refugee claims, but did not provide details. He later told reporters that criminals are coming into the country to commit crimes.
“Regrettably, at times, people do get in and they do commit crimes,” Miller said last July 16. “Well-determined actors do have an ability, despite best efforts to get in.”
The RCMP acknowledged the complicity of Mexican cartels in trafficking humans into Canada months earlier.Â
The agency stated that human smuggling remains a concern after the closure of Roxham Road and the demolition of the last agency outpost at the unofficial point of entry.
Alex Dhaliwal
Journalist and Writer
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
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