In 2023, Antony Blinken and Vancouver-area mayor Brad West warned of Beijing’s role in the fentanyl crisis and Canada’s failure to stop the drug trade and money laundering.

By The Bureau

Summary

Wielding the threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian imports to the U.S., the Trump administration has mandated that Canada take specific actions to support America’s crackdown on the deadly drug fentanyl. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed $200 million to establish a ”Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force” to combat organized crime and money laundering. The commitment also includes the appointment of a Fentanyl Czar, as well as designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations under Canadian law. This pledge comes in addition to a previously announced $1.3-billion border security plan to strengthen the Canada-U.S. border and equip the RCMP with helicopters, drones and mobile surveillance towers.

The Bureau in this repost dated Feb. 4, 2025, revisits a report they published in August 2023 that revealed details of a discussion that occurred between Vancouver-area Mayor Brad West and then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Canada’s vulnerabilities and legal loopholes in relation to the North American fentanyl crisis, among other issues, including Beijing’s interference in Canadian elections.

“What impressed me about the Secretary was how direct he was in naming the role of the government of China and what we’re seeing playing out on our streets and in our community,” West said.

Blinken emphasized the importance of local mayors in the fight against fentanyl and transnational crime, highlighting China’s role in facilitating the flow of narcotics.

Meanwhile, West’s outspoken stance against Beijing’s activities, including its genocide against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, interference in Canadian politics and involvement in the fentanyl crisis, has made him a target.

West was briefed by CSIS that Chinese officials were concerned about his political activities and did not want him to rise to higher office. After being re-elected as Mayor of Port Coquitlam, West was informed by community contacts about efforts to recruit a candidate to run against him in the 2022 municipal elections. Attempts to smear West included portraying him as anti-China, racist, and a supporter of the United States, using media stories and his advocacy for a foreign agent registry as evidence.

West mentions the use of WeChat by CCP-linked individuals to spread misinformation and recruit candidates sympathetic to their aims. Community leaders, suspected of being part of the United Front, played a key role in these efforts, often in close contact with Chinese Consulate officials.

West’s experiences align with broader patterns of Chinese interference documented by CSIS and other sources, including the use of WeChat to attack political figures and spread disinformation during elections.

Read The Bureau interview with Brad West at the publisher’s website here.