As part of the border security plan it negotiated with the United States on Monday, Canada will designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, prompting criticism from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Seeking to avoid U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said he will implement a CAD 1.3 billion (US $900 million) border security plan and launch a joint task force with the United States to combat organized crime, in addition to labeling Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.

Sheinbaum took exception to Trudeau’s announcement concerning Mexican cartels during her Tuesday morning press conference.

“We don’t believe that the terrorist designation is helpful,” she said. “There are other forms of cooperation and coordination with respect to our sovereignty that would better assist in combating the fentanyl crisis in the United States.”

Mexico also took steps this week to address its role in the fentanyl crisis in the United States where approximately 107,000 people lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2023.

Peter Navarro, senior trade adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, lauded Mexico’s efforts to crack down on the influx of fentanyl into the United States, and said that Canada had started to understand that it needed to do more.

“Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, and launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering,” Trudeau wrote in a post on X. The Canadian prime minister also signed a new US $200 million intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl.

I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly…

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 3, 2025

Trudeau’s action against drug gangs follows in the footsteps of the U.S. president who, on Jan. 20, signed an Executive Order designating cartels and other organizations as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations and specially designated global terrorists.”

According to the news agency Reuters, Navarro said that Mexican cartels have been expanding rapidly in Canada, turning Canada into “a leading source of small, duty-free shipments of drugs. 

In addition, Navarro said, Canada must address visa issues that have allowed people on the “terrorism watchlist” to enter the United States.

The actions to bolster border security taken by the respective Mexican and Canadian governments resulted in a one-month delay of the tariffs proposed by Trump.

With reports from El Economista, El Financiero, BNO News, Infobae and Reuters