Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly privately praised the United States for taking “a hard stand on drugs” shortly after former President Donald Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Canadian exports over fentanyl and border concerns, internal government notes show.Blacklock's Reporter says the scripted remarks, prepared for a closed-door meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on December 27, were released through Access To Information. They reveal a stark contrast to public messaging from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, which had dismissed fentanyl trafficking and irregular migration as exaggerated issues..“We are pleased the incoming U.S. administration also takes a hard stand on drugs crossing our borders,” Joly was instructed to say. “We share your concerns related to fentanyl. Communities and families in Canada continue to be harmed by this crisis.”Joly’s meeting included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Thomas Homan and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.The talking points acknowledged fentanyl as a deadly problem, noting: “Over 50,000 Canadians have died because of this since 2016. China has long been a major source of these drugs.”.Trump had announced just weeks earlier that Canada would face a 25% tariff “until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country.” In public, cabinet responded defensively.“Our border is strong,” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said on January 29.But internal documents paint a different picture..A 2024 memo to the prime minister reported that more than 350 organized crime groups in Canada were involved in fentanyl distribution, using chemical precursors mostly imported from China.Another Foreign Affairs memo dated June 17 said fentanyl production in Canada likely exceeds domestic demand and that the country has become a source and transit hub for the drug to the U.S. and Australia.Despite public assurances, the internal briefings acknowledged the scale of the crisis.“Seizures of Canada-sourced fentanyl in places like the United States and Australia suggest domestic production is likely exceeding domestic demand,” wrote officials.
