CBSA Reports Seizure of Fentanyl and Other Narcotics During Operation Blizzard
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) intercepted 1.73 kilograms of fentanyl and 59.73 kilograms of other illegal narcotics during Operation Blizzard, a national enforcement initiative conducted from February 12 to March 13, 2025.
The CBSA stated that Operation Blizzard was a focused effort to examine illegal drug shipments moving between Canada and the United States, as well as those shipped by bulk mail, air cargo, and marine containers. According to the agency, targeted referrals from the National Targeting Centre allowed officers to inspect shipments considered high-risk for containing narcotics or their precursors.
The CBSA reported making over 2,600 seizures of suspected narcotics and precursor chemicals across the country during the operation. Of these seizures, 67.5% involved drugs entering Canada from the United States and 17.5% were exports to the United States. In British Columbia, Québec, and Alberta, officers intercepted 116 shipments containing fentanyl, with a total seized weight of 1.73 kilograms. The CBSA specified that 1.44 kilograms of this fentanyl were destined for the United States and 0.26 kilograms for other countries.
Other drugs seized during Operation Blizzard included 17 cases of methamphetamine (5.38 kilograms and 89 pills), 24 cases of cocaine (13 kilograms), 26 cases of heroin (0.19 kilograms), 17 cases of opium (38.84 kilograms and 11 bottles), 48 cases of MDMA (2.32 kilograms and 82 pills), and 249 cases involving cannabis or cannabis-related products.
Additional seizures reported by the CBSA during the same period included 400 litres of 1,4-butanediol in Vancouver, 148 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of ketamine at Vancouver International Airport, 2.7 kilograms of opium at the same airport, and just under 25 kilograms of methamphetamine at the Vancouver International Mail Centre. In Montreal, CBSA officers seized 142 kilograms of cocaine from rail containers. Officers at Toronto Pearson International Airport seized 154 kilograms of ketamine. At the Coutts port of entry, CBSA officers reported seizing 108 kilograms of cocaine, while officers at the Blue Water Bridge seized 419 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Other seizures included 25 kilograms of codeine and the precursor chemical ephedrine, 8 kilograms of suspected khat at the Ambassador Bridge, and 1.7 kilograms of suspected MDMA at the Peace Bridge.
The CBSA described fentanyl as a very potent opioid and stated that it is 20 to 40 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. According to the agency, this potency presents a high risk of accidental overdose.