Peter Navarro: 'Canada has been taken over ... by Mexican cartels'

Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser to President Trump, said Wednesday that Canada has been "taken over" by Mexican cartels as tensions between the countries are on the rise over Trump-imposed tariffs seeking to crack down on fentanyl entering the U.S.

“What I want to say to every world leader who gets up in arms when all we're asking for is fairness and to have them stop killing our people is, ‘Please, listen to us.’” Canada could do a lot more,” Navarro said, discussing drug flow into the U.S. on Fox News’s “Special Report" with anchor Bret Baier.

“Canada has been taken over, Bret, by Mexican cartels,” he continued as highlighted by Mediaite.

Navarro’s comments come amid tensions between Canada and the U.S. over tariffs. On Tuesday, Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on the country’s northern neighbor and Mexico alongside an extra 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. The president pointed to frustration over the stream of fentanyl into the U.S., but experts have previously noted that a relatively small amount enters the country via its northern border.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has been very vocal in his opposition to Trump's tariffs, said Tuesday he was hopeful the tariff fight between his country and the U.S. will end within days.

“I hope it stops within the next few days. … And I’m not just saying that,” Ford told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on “The Hill."

“It will be an absolute disaster for both countries, and people will be unemployed, plants will shut down, assembly lines will shut down and inflation’s going to happen within days,” he continued later. “So this is unfortunate. One person’s responsible, and that’s President Trump.”

In his “Special Report” appearance, Navarro said he had been viewing a “press conference today and a reporter said something along the lines … only caught like four pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border.”

“Let me do a little fentanyl math for you,” Navarro added. “Four pounds kills a million people.”

The Hill has reached out to Global Affairs Canada for comment.

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