OTTAWA — Canadian police arrested hundreds and seized illegal drugs, cash, firearms and stolen vehicles in a “national sprint” targeting fentanyl and synthetic opioids, taking action on one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s concerns about the northern border.

“The operation was an opportunity to demonstrate the cohesion and dedication of Canada’s law enforcement agencies at all three levels of government to counter the production and distribution of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in the country,” the RCMP said in a news release detailing the operation, which ran from Dec. 9 to Jan. 18.

The federal police force said the operation, which included law enforcement agencies across the country, resulted in 524 arrests and the seizure of about 46 kilograms of fentanyl and more than 15,000 pills of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

The release did not mention Trump, but Canada has been trying to prove it is taking the problem of fentanyl seriously since Trump first linked the issues of illegal drugs and migrants entering the U.S. to his threat to impose steep tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.

The federal government earmarked $1.3 billion for border security measures in the 2024 fall economic statement. On Feb. 3, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau secured a 30-day reprieve from Trump’s threatened universal tariffs on Canadian goods after he promised to appoint a “fentanyl czar,” list drug cartels as terrorist organizations and devote $200 million to intelligence needed to tackle transnational organized crime.

“They are yielding results,” Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., said Friday in Washington, D.C., on the sidelines of the National Governors Association’s winter meeting. “Illegal migration from Canada to the United States is down 90 per cent and we are really getting at some of the difficult issues around fentanyl trafficking and the organizations that are behind it in Canada. So we have results to show. We’ve been sharing that information.”

The 46 kilograms of fentanyl seized in the sprint is more than the 19.5 kilograms (or 43 pounds) of fentanyl seized at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. About 9,570 kilograms (21,100 pounds) of fentanyl were seized at the U.S.-Mexico border during that same 2023-2024 period.

On Wednesday, Trump made it clear that fentanyl—and tariffs—are still on his mind.

“I’m not stopping the tariffs. No,” Trump said after his first cabinet meeting, when a reporter asked whether a sharp decrease in border crossings would be enough to satisfy his demands.

Trump again shared his concern that fentanyl from outside the U.S. is responsible for overdose deaths in that country. “It comes mostly from China, but it comes through Mexico and it comes through Canada,” Trump said of fentanyl.

He then sowed confusion over the timeline for tariffs, saying they would come April 2.

Later in the news conference, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that the fentanyl-related tariffs are separate from the others, and could be imposed as soon as next week.

“The big transaction is April 2, but the fentanyl-related things, they’re working hard on the border,” Lutnick said. “At the end of that 30 days they have to prove to the president that they’ve satisfied him to that regard. If they have, he will give them a pause, or he won’t,” Lutnick said.

“It’s going to be hard to satisfy,” Trump added.

On Feb. 1, Trump issued an executive order to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods besides energy products, which would be subject to a 10 per cent tariff. He said these tariffs, which would apply on top of any other existing duties, would remain in place until the U.S. was satisfied that Canada was doing enough to address the fentanyl crisis. He also announced 25 per cent tariffs on all Mexican goods and additional 10 per cent tariffs on China.

On Feb. 3, Trump announced a 30-day pause on the tariffs against Canada following two conversations with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He also paused the tariffs for Mexico but went ahead with those on China. That pause, if not extended, would end March 4.

On Feb. 10, Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum, removing an exemption that Canada has had since 2019. Those are set to take effect March 12.

On Feb. 13, Trump announced his intention to impose reciprocal tariffs on other countries that have set up trade barriers to the U.S. The details will stem from a report that Trump has asked for by April 1, as outlined in the “America First” trade policy he put out on inauguration day. A fact sheet from the White House that day made clear Canada’s digital services tax is one of the policies that Trump is targeting.

After Trump’s statements Wednesday, Matthew Holmes, executive vice-president and chief of public policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said the confusion is intentional. “Weaponizing uncertainty and moving the goalposts keeps us off balance and distracted while in parallel reducing consumer and business confidence on both sides of the border,” Holmes said in a written statement. “As President Trump’s economic plan backfires, we must focus on improving our economic future here at home—delivering on internal trade, diversifying our trade relationships, reviewing our tax competitiveness and reducing red tape.”