Canada’s fight against fentanyl
Illegal fentanyl and synthetic opioids are killing individuals, destroying families and harming communities in Canada and around the world.
Canada’s Fight Against Fentanyl is a coordinated effort between domestic and international partners to:
- save lives
- support public health
- stop the cross-border movement of fentanyl and its precursors
- fight organized crime
On this page
Results dashboard
Through the actions of governments, law enforcement agencies and public health organizations, we are seeing results.
Opioid-related deaths
Apparent opioid-related deaths decreased by 23% in 2025 compared to 2024.Footnote 1
U.S. border seizures
Northern Border seizures accounted for approximately 0.1% of total U.S. fentanyl seizures by U.S. border enforcement between September 2025 and August 2026.
U.S. data shows 4.85 lbs were seized at its Northern Border, compared to 10,216 lbs seized at its Southern Border.
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) fentanyl seizures
Between January 1 and December 31, 2025, the CBSA seized approximately 2.78 kg of fentanyl coming into or leaving Canada.
Between January 1 and June 30, 2026, the CBSA seized approximately 0.34 kg of fentanyl coming into or leaving Canada.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) fentanyl seizures
The RCMP seized 134.65 kg of fentanyl between April 2025 and June 2026.
Drug trafficking arrests
There were 4,930 charges and arrests involving fentanyl or analogues between April 2025 and June 2026.
Strengthening criminal laws
Since 2025, the Government of Canada has tabled significant legislation to strengthen criminal laws and give police tools to address and dismantle the illegal fentanyl trade:
- Bills passed into law: 3
- Bills currently before Parliament: 3
To learn more about the results of Canada’s fight against fentanyl, view our Implementation update.
How Canada is fighting fentanyl
Border protection
Border protection
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are the first line of defence against the illegal movement of fentanyl across Canada’s borders both coming into and leaving the country. Advanced detection tools are used to identify and seize illegal drugs and precursor chemicals.
These tools include:
- X-ray scanners
- ion mobility spectrometry
- narcotic Identification
- detector dog teams
- interview, examination and investigative techniques
- proven indicators, advance information and intelligence-sharing
Stopping illegal goods at the border
The CBSA plays a key role in protecting Canadian communities from illegal fentanyl, synthetic opioids and precursor chemicals. The agency conducts intelligence and criminal investigations in collaboration with law enforcement partners, to identify and interdict firearms and illegal goods crossing the border. These operations have led to many seizures, including significant quantities of illicit drugs and firearms intercepted at ports of entry.
Supported by Canada’s Border Plan, CBSA operations have expanded its resources to detect and disrupt the illegal fentanyl trade. This includes:
- increased officer capacity
- new tools for law enforcement to better detect illegal drugs at ports of entry
- increased export controls
From January 1 to August 30, 2026 CBSA has achieved significant enforcement successes including the following from the U.S.:
- 0.09 kg of fentanyl
- 1,702.65 kg of cocaine
- 1,017.16 kg of methamphetamine
- seizing 568 firearms
Featured initiative: Operation Blizzard
Operation Blizzard was conducted from February 12 to March 13, 2025. The cross-country surge operation aimed to intercept fentanyl and other illegal drugs in postal, air cargo and marine containers. The CBSA executed over 2,600 seizures of suspected narcotics and precursor chemicals.
Of these seizures, 67.5% were illegal narcotics entering Canada from the US, and 17.5% were narcotics destined for to the US.
| Drug type | Number of seizures | Quantity seized |
|---|---|---|
| Fentanyl * | 116 | 1.73 kg |
| Methamphetamine | 17 | 5.38 kg and 89 pills |
| Cocaine | 24 | 13 kg |
| Heroin | 26 | 0.19 kg |
| Opium | 17 | 38.84 kg and 11 bottles |
| MDMA | 48 | 2.32 kg and 82 pills |
| Cannabis and cannabis related product | 249 | Quantity not reported |
* Of the 1.73 kg of fentanyl seized, 1.44 kg was destined for the United States and 0.26 kg was destined for other countries. |
||
Data source: Canada Border Services Agency enforcement action statistics
* These statistics represent Fentanyl seizures made by the CBSA officers in all modes for the specified period, and may change due to late entries or further evaluation.
Description
CBSA Quarterly Fentanyl Seizures (kg)
- 2024-25 Q1: 0.21 kilograms
- 2024-25 Q2: 4.23 kilograms
- 2024-25 Q3: 0.15 kilograms
- 2024-25 Q4: 1.79 kilograms
- 2025-26 Q1: 0.57 kilograms
- 2025-26 Q2: 0.25 kilgorams
- 2025-26 Q3: 0.2 kilgorams
- 2025-26 Q4: 0.14 kilgorams
- 2026-27 Q1: 0.21 kilgorams
Canada / United States border
In addition to its partnerships with domestic law enforcement, the CBSA works closely with its U.S. counterparts to combat illegal drug smuggling.
Canada is not a major source of fentanyl entering the United States.
In the past 12-month period (September 2025 to August 2026), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) attributes 4.85 lbs. of fentanyl seizures to the Northern Border, and 10,216 lbs. to the Southern Border. Northern Border seizures account for approximately 0.1% of total U.S. fentanyl seizures involving border enforcement in the past 12 months.
- According to U.S. CBP, in August 2026, approximately 0.1% (0.007 lbs. or 3.18 grams) of total fentanyl seized coming into the U.S. was attributed to the Northern Border.
- In the past 12-month period (September 2025 to August 2026), U.S. CBP attributes 4.85 lbs. of fentanyl seizures to the Northern Border, and 10,216 lbs. to the Southern Border. Northern Border seizures account for approximately 0.1% of total U.S. fentanyl seizures involving border enforcement in the past 12 months.
Law enforcement
Law enforcement
Transnational criminal networks use global supply chains, gaps in regulations and cryptocurrencies to profit from the illegal fentanyl trade. The Government of Canada works with Canadian and international law enforcement agencies to disrupt the production and trafficking of illegal drugs.
Domestic enforcement
Canada works with law enforcement across the country to:
- shut down illegal drug labs
- dismantle organized crime networks
- disrupt money laundering activities linked to fentanyl trafficking
- cut off the profits that support criminal activity
| FY 2024-2025 | FY 2025-2026 | FY 2026-2027 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Apr-Jun) |
Q2 (Jul- Sep) |
Q3 (Oct-Dec) |
Q4 (Jan-Mar) |
Q1 (Apr-Jun) |
Q2 (Jul-Sep) |
Q3 (Oct-Dec) |
Q4 (Jan-Mar) |
Q1 (Apr-Jun) |
| 96.34 kg (1,475 units) | 444.10 kg (6,444 units) | 21.67 kg (1,396 units) | 31.82 kg (4,822 units) | 25.25 kg (2,496 units) | 31.87 kg (1,911 units) | 34.33 kg (2,262 units) | 22.74 kg (2,371 units) | 20.46 kg (852 units) |
| Note: Unit is used to describe a single items of drugs, such as tablets, pills, capsules, or similar forms. | ||||||||
Featured initiative: Coordinated national operation
From December 9, 2024 to January 18, 2025, the Canadian Integrated Response to Organized Crime (CIROC) led a coordinated national operation involving federal, provincial and municipal partners.
This operation targeted organized crime networks and precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl.
Key results
489 fentanyl and synthetic opioid-related cases led to:
- 524 arrests
- 46.17 kg of fentanyl seized
- the seizure of thousands of opioid pills, firearms, cash, and vehicles
Following the money
Identifying and reporting suspicious financial activity can help disrupt the flow of drug money.
Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada’s (FINTRAC) Operation Guardian alert provides guidance on financial activities associated with fentanyl trafficking and money laundering.
Developed with Canadian and international partners, the guidance identifies indicators that can help businesses and financial institutions recognize suspicious activities such as:
- frequent small transactions
- wire transfers to certain regions
- e‑transfer patterns
Working with our partners in the United States
Canada works closely with law enforcement in the United States to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks involved in fentanyl trafficking by:
- sharing intelligence in real-time
- coordinating joint operations
- tracking traffickers and precursor chemicals
This partnership helps both countries to address gaps between our systems that criminal networks may exploit.
Public health
Public health
Fentanyl continues to cause overdoses and hospitalizations across Canada. Canada supports public health measures and mental health and addictions programming to:
- reduce harm
- prevent deaths
- connect people with support
The Government of Canada provides:
- federal substance use programs through departments such as Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Indigenous Services Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada
- mental health and addictions services for persons in the federal corrections system
- funding in support of provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous community programming
Resources
- Information on substance use and the help available
- Public health data on illegal opioids, include fentanyl
- Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy
Featured initiative: pilot project to help address substance abuse in Ottawa
On December 8, 2025, Prime Minister Carney and Ottawa Mayor Sutcliffe announced over $1.2M for a pilot project to help address substance abuse in Ottawa.
This funding includes $500K from Public Safety to the City of Ottawa for a “Safe Spaces” Pilot Project, focused on implementing peer-led daytime recreational programming, as well as $650K from Health Canada to the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction to oversee, with municipal partners, a project to improve data collection, dissemination and use.
These activities are intended to bring together health care providers, policing services, persons with lived experience, health research organizations, municipal departments and other partners to develop new approaches to mental health and addictions programming, community safety and public health data collection that can be adapted in other communities across Canada.
Evidence of progress
Several factors may be contributing to declining opioid-related deaths, including:
- expanded local access to treatment, harm reduction, and mental health and addictions services
- social services such as housing
- naloxone distribution
- public awareness and emergency response improvements
- community outreach
Opioid-related deaths decreased by 10% between April 2025 and March 2026.
While encouraging, thousands of lives are still being lost each year. Continued action is needed.
Notes:
Nunavut data from July to December 2023 were not available at the time of this update.
The national overall count includes deaths from British Columbia related to all unregulated drugs (2025 onwards) and Quebec related to drug or opioid-related intoxication (2025 onwards).
Due to the time required to complete death investigations, data on apparent opioid and stimulant toxicity deaths for the four most recent quarters are considered preliminary and subject to change.
Description
Number of apparent opioid toxicity deaths in Canada, 2016 to March 2026
- 2016: 2,832
- 2017: 3,928
- 2018: 4,262
- 2019: 3,602
- 2020: 6,184
- 2021: 7,617
- 2022: 7,274
- 2023: 8,083
- 2024: 6,669
- 2025: 5,704
- 2026 (Jan to Mar): 1,354
Note:
Data on hospitalizations from Quebec are not included in the dataset used for analysis. As a result, Quebec is excluded.
Description
Number of opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada, 2016 to March 2026
- 2016: 4,575
- 2017: 5,092
- 2018: 4,986
- 2019: 4,469
- 2020: 5,184
- 2021: 6,215
- 2022: 5,392
- 2023: 6,433
- 2024: 5,604
- 2025: 5,034
- 2026 (Jan to Mar): 1,374
Note:
Based on available data from 7 to 10 provinces and territories depending on the year.
Description
Number of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responses to suspected opioid-related overdoses in Canada, 2017 to 2026 (Jan to Mar)
- 2017: 17,269
- 2018: 20,771
- 2019: 21,444
- 2020: 29,493
- 2021: 41,275
- 2022: 35,653
- 2023: 42,756
- 2024: 36,131
- 2025: 39,403
- 2026 (Jan to Mar): 12,535
Notes:
Quebec data for 2025 and 2026 includes deaths related to all drug or opioid-related intoxications. An estimate of the proportion of substance-related toxicity deaths that may be caused by opioids was generated to estimate the change over time.
* Suppressed (Suppr.) – Data may be suppressed in provinces or territories with low numbers of cases in order to comply with confidentiality rules.
Description
Number of apparent opioid toxicity deaths by provinces and territories, April 2025 to March 2026 compared to the previous 12 months
- British Columbia
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 1,894
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 1,822
- Alberta
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 1,157
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 1,077
- Saskatchewan
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 241
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 209
- Manitoba
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 333
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 237
- Ontario
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 1,999
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 1,476
- Quebec
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 307
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 292
- New Brunswick
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 89
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 75
- Nova Scotia
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 63
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 90
- Prince Edward Island
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: Suppr.
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: Suppr.
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 43
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 23
- Yukon
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 15
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 9
- Northwest Territories
- Avril 2024 to March 2025: 5
- Avril 2025 to March 2026: 1
Canada’s Fentanyl Czar
Canada’s response to the fentanyl crisis is led by Canada’s Fentanyl Czar.
The Fentanyl Czar works with government, law enforcement agencies, border services, public health organizations and international partners to coordinate Canada’s response.
Updates and progress
Kevin Brosseau – Canada’s Fentanyl Czar
Learn more about Canada’s Fentanyl Czar and his appointment.
Resources
Discover how Canada is taking a full-spectrum and comprehensive approach to fighting fentanyl and securing our borders.
Get help with substance use
Resources and information available in your community, including overdose prevention resources.