Pete Navarro, White House Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing, appeared on Fox News in March and spoke about President Donald Trump‘s tariff threats, including those directed at Canada. Navarro said at the time: “What I want to 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, who has said repeatedly said that Trump tariffs are levied as a way to pressure countries to do more to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., added, “Canada could do a lot more. Canada has been taken over by Mexican cartels.”
Now with Trump’s attendance at this week’s G7 conference in Canada expecting to largely focus on tariffs and the trade balances between the seven powerful nations, liberal influencer Aaron Rupar is recirculating Navarro’s widely mocked take on the situation in Canada and his alleged exaggerations about the presence of Mexican cartels there.
Trump Adviser: “Canada has been taken over by Mexican cartels…” @atrupar
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) June 15, 2025
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According to a Government of Canada press release issued in February, Canada is “taking all necessary steps to address fentanyl in Canada; by appointing a fentanyl czar, launching the Canada – U.S. Joint Strike Force, convening a new taskforce to combat money laundering, and investing $1.3 billion to strengthen our border.”
The press release also noted that U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported “a significant decrease in fentanyl seizures from Canada, with a 97 percent drop in January 2025 compared to December 2024.”
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s own published statistics show American law enforcement seized 21,889 pounds of fentanyl in the 2024 fiscal year. Canadian border seizures accounted for 43 pounds, about 0.2% of the total, while 21,148 pounds was seized at the Mexican border– almost 97%.”)
If the Mexican cartels having taken over Canada, as Navarro asserts, to turn the country into a drug smuggling epicenter, their failure to pull off the coup and their inefficiency in moving product through the U.S.-Canada border may give Americans some comfort — and less reason to fear.
More than one Canadian on X have responded to Navarro’s claim with humor and mockery. One Canadian unwilling to buy Navarro’s assertion of an “invaded” Canada replied: “I’ve never seen a Mexican here lmao.” Another responded: “I live in Canada. There’s like 5 Mexican people up here.”
One “Sane American” wrote: “Dear Canada, Give us a wink if the cartels have taken over. Laugh if you think this guy is completely full of it.”
Dear Canada,
— Dr G (@eg1701) June 15, 2025
Give us a wink if the cartels have taken over. Laugh if you think this guy is completely full of it.
Sincerely,
A Sane American.
A more sober take (see below) acknowledged that there is an element of cartel influence to be combatted, as the Canadian government’s increased efforts attest, but also cautioned that reality — not wild exaggerations — would be more helpful in setting the stage for change.
“There can be no doubt that criminal cartels are active in Canada and that the Canadian authorities are working to combat their activities,” wrote the commenter. “The US would do better to work with Canada against the cartels rather than spout this sort of exaggerated nonsense.”
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