BREAKING ALERT: Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on All Goods From Canada and Mexico, Cites Flood of Fentanyl and Illegal Migrants

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a stunning announcement Monday, President-Elect Donald Trump vowed swift action to combat what he described as a surge in fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration at the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada.

Trump pledged to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from both countries, citing their alleged failure to address the crises. He announced the policy would be enacted through an Executive Order on January 20, the day he officially takes office.

"Thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before," Trump said in a statement. He singled out an incoming "unstoppable" caravan from Mexico as emblematic of what he described as the failures of both neighboring countries to address the crisis.

"This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

In a responsive post at 8 p.m., Ontario’s Conservative Premier Doug Ford wrote:

“A 25 per cent tariff would be devastating to workers and jobs in both Canada and the U.S. The federal government needs to take the situation at our border seriously. We need a Team Canada approach and response—and we need it now. Prime Minister Trudeau must call an urgent meeting with all premiers.”

The backdrop to Trump’s shocking policy against Canada—long perceived as a strong ally of the U.S.—includes a recent high-profile case against TD Bank in the United States, resulting in a multi-billion-dollar fine. Months prior to Trump's announcement, David Asher, a former Trump administration official and consultant on DEA investigations related to the TD probe, told The Bureau that U.S. investigators believe the "command and control" for the fentanyl money-laundering networks allegedly cited in the TD case leads directly to Toronto and Vancouver.

These networks—according to Asher—involve transnational Triads laundering cash from fentanyl distributed in America by Mexican cartels, who source their precursors from China.

In an exclusive interview with The Bureau, Asher criticized the Canadian government for inadequate cooperation in broader fentanyl-trafficking and Triad money laundering investigations, pointing to gang leaders in Canada with alleged ties to Beijing. Asher suggested that possible political and financial influences are hampering effective law enforcement in Canada.

"The key thing is the Canadian connection, and in almost all the investigations as far as money laundering, we saw the command control seemed to go back to our network analysis. When we seized their phones, we’d see Canada light up like a Christmas tree, especially Toronto, and also British Columbia," Asher said.

Regarding allegations that Triads in Toronto and Vancouver are running fentanyl money-laundering networks for Mexican cartels, Asher added: "The question is, what does the Canadian government know, and why haven’t they tried to judicially prosecute?"

Asher emphasized that the failure to disrupt these networks is contributing to the ongoing fentanyl crisis, which claims tens of thousands of lives annually in the U.S. and Canada.

Furthermore, Asher disclosed that U.S. Congressional investigators allege the People's Republic of China is not only incentivizing fentanyl precursor exports but also methamphetamine sales.

The tariff, Trump emphasized, will remain until Mexico and Canada take what he called their "absolute right and power" to stop the flow of illegal drugs and migrants.

"We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price," Trump declared.

The announcement has already sparked sharp reactions from political leaders and trade experts. Critics warn that such sweeping tariffs could disrupt North American trade agreements and exacerbate economic tensions with key allies.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to The Bureau for updates.