in World News Feds stand by Mexican visa lift as cartels take over fentanyl trade
By Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
The Trudeau government is standing by its decision to no longer require a visa for Mexican citizens even as major cartels have come to dominate trafficking fentanyl and other deadly opioids, True North has learned.
An Aug. 30 investigation by Wall Street Journal details how Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels have overtaken traditional fentanyl suppliers like China in smuggling fentanyl across North America.
As it stands, Canada no longer requires people travelling from Mexico to acquire a traditional visa to enter the country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lifted the requirements on Dec. 1, 2016, allowing Mexican citizens to only file a $7 Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) which only takes minutes to complete to be granted entry into Canada.
When confronted with the cartel’s growing influence on peddling toxic drugs throughout North America, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told True North that while fighting organized crime was a top priority, the eTA requirement will remain in place.
“The visa lift underscores the importance Canada places on its friendship with Mexico and the closer ties stemming from the removal of the visa requirement,” said IRCC spokesperson Jeffrey MacDonald in an emailed statement.