Trudeau said Canada was implementing a $1.3bn (£1bn) border plan that included nearly 10,000 frontline workers and more resources to halt the flow of fentanyl, a synthetic drug 50 times stronger than heroin, which Trump has cited as a major concern.
The prime minister also said Canada would appoint a “fentanyl czar” and launch a joint strike force with the US to combat crime, fentanyl and money laundering.
Much of the border security plan had already been announced by Canada in December.
It includes enhanced co-ordination with US law enforcement, increased information sharing, limiting traffic at the border, and the deployment of drones and Black Hawk helicopters for surveillance.
The news came just hours after Trump paused a separate tariff on Mexican goods in exchange for that country sending 10,000 National Guard troops to its border with the US.
President Sheinbaum broke the news on X, writing she had had a “good conversation with great respect for our relationship and sovereignty” with her US counterpart.
Trump described his phone conversation with the Mexican leader as “very friendly”.
In 2019, Mexico’s government agreed to send 15,000 soldiers to its northern frontier to avoid tariffs from the first Trump administration.
Source:
www.bbc.com
Source link
