Smuggler details drug, migrant operation across US-Canada border: Report

• A self-proclaimed smuggler working with the Sinaloa Cartel revealed how the group takes advantage of the 5,500-mile U.S.-Canada border to smuggle migrants and drugs. Javi claims the cost of smuggling each person is $3,000, with part of the money going to the cartel and himself.
• Despite heightened border security efforts from both the U.S. and Canada, Javi insists the cartel’s operations won’t be stopped.
• He also notes an increasing number of migrants are choosing to head to Canada instead of the U.S.

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A self-proclaimed smuggler who works for the notorious Sinaloa Cartel claims the U.S.-Canada border, stretching over 5,500 miles, is a prime location for illegal activity. Speaking anonymously to CBS News on a 60 Minutes broadcast, Javi detailed his operations moving migrants across international borders.

Sinaloa Cartel’s role in border smuggling

Javi, who claims to be part of the Sinaloa Cartel, said the price for each smuggled migrant is $3,000. He keeps $1,000, while the cartel receives $500, and the remainder goes toward the journey. He also admits to smuggling fentanyl from China alongside human trafficking operations.

“We are a group that is in charge at the command of the Sinaloa Cartel,” Javi said. “We are dedicated to crossing people, and we’ve also worked with drugs and weapons for the Italian mafia several times.”

Javi remains undeterred by U.S. or Canadian border security efforts, stating that neither country will be able to stop the cartel’s operations.

“Canada’s border is much larger than Mexico’s,” he said. “There are more entry points through Canada than through Mexico. A lot more entry points that won’t stop us.”

He also highlighted a growing trend of migrants choosing to head to Canada, either seeking help to leave the U.S. or fleeing the Trump administration’s policies.

“Normally, before, we didn’t see that much. Maybe out of every 30 people we crossed, three or four would head to Canada. Now, maybe out of every 10, five go up to Canada,” Javi said.

Trump’s pressure on Canada to increase border security

Javi’s narrative aligns with President Trump’s justification for imposing a 25% tariff on Canadian exports. Since taking office, Trump has pressured Canada to strengthen border security to prevent drugs and criminals from entering the U.S.

In response, the Canadian government has committed over $1 billion to enhance border security. They include the deployment of helicopters, drones and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Despite Canada committing to these efforts, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded only 23,000 migrant encounters at the U.S.-Canada border in the 12 months ending in October 2024. By contrast, the southern border with Mexico saw more than 1.5 million encounters during the same period.

Concern about influx of migrants entering Canada

Former Canadian Border Services Agent Kelly Sundberg warns Trump’s deportation directives could lead to a surge of migrants crossing into Canada, a situation local law enforcement may not be equipped to handle.

“We’re going to be overwhelmed by the illegal immigrants fleeing American authorities coming into our country,” Sundberg said. “They very well might be bringing guns and drugs with them.”

Canada and the United States work together under the Safe Third Country Agreement, which mandates that asylum seekers must file claims in the first country they enter. This policy assumes that both nations offer equal protection to individuals seeking refuge.

Loss of legal status for some immigrants in the US

At the end of last week, on March 21, the Department of Homeland Security announced that 532,000 immigrants would lose their legal status in the U.S., putting their ability to remain in the country at risk. Migrants from Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela are among those affected, as the Trump administration ends a humanitarian parole program enacted under the Biden administration.