Editor’s note: Some wording in this release has been adjusted to avoid automated content flagging. The meaning and intent remain unchanged.

The Canadian government has classified multiple Mexican criminal syndicates as t*rrorist entities, citing their role in trafficking illicit drugs through Canada. According to an official announcement, seven transnational organizations, notably the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, are now listed under the Criminal Code, which allows law-enforcement to freeze assets and pursue t*rrorism-related charges.

Investigators from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report intelligence showing these organizations use Canada as a transit hub for illicit goods, including fentanyl and move money and personnel through Canadian territory. This development comes amid a broader push to strengthen border surveillance, disrupt precursor chemical shipments and clamp down on money-laundering networks operating across the Canada-U.S. border.

The designation places the cartels in a similar classification to t*rrorist groups, meaning their Canadian-based assets can be frozen, financial support can be prosecuted, and anyone knowingly aiding them may face enhanced penalties. While the organizations were criminally active before, this legal framing expands the tools available to federal agencies.

Officials say placing these entities under the “t*rrorist” label is partly driven by the severity of the opioid-related deaths and the recognition that the trafficking networks operate with the reach, sophistication and violence characteristic of insurgent-style groups. The move also aligns Canada with recent U.S. regulatory actions that labelled several Latin American cartels as t*rrorist organizations, underscoring how the cross-border dimension of the narcotics trade implicates national security concerns.

Some observers caution that while the legal shift is significant, the practical impact will depend on coordinated policing, intelligence-sharing with international partners and improvements on the ground in intercepting shipments and dismantling laundering networks. The government has committed 200 million dollars to bolster border infrastructure and intelligence capabilities.

By applying the t*rrorist-entity label to criminal enterprises historically viewed through the lens of organized crime, the government is signaling a shift in strategy as it seeks to cut off the infrastructure, financing and trans-border sanctuaries that enable these operations.

This approach remains contentious, raising concerns about how effectively resources will be deployed and whether the new designations will translate into tangible progress in curbing trafficking and redefining Canada’s place in the global drug trade.