Canada has shown 7 Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations – the Yucatan Times

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Canada describes seven Latin American criminal organizations as terrorist companies according to the country's criminal code and gives the Canadian law enforcement authorities another instrument in the fight against fentanyl trade, said David Mcguinty, Minister of Public Security, on Thursday, February 20,.

The list includes the Mexican cartel in Sinaloa, the Jalalco New Generation Cartel and the La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and was announced as “foreign terrorist organizations” a day after the US government's official determination with eight Latin -American organized crime groups.

“The measures will help keep fentanyl from the Canadian streets and the entry to the United States,” Mcguinty told a press conference.

The announcement was Canada's latest answer to the US President Donald Trump's claim that the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration to the USA was behind its threats to impose a tariff of 25% to all Canadian goods – with the exception of 10% of energy.

Trump carried out the implementation of these tariffs until at least March 4.

US border patrouilla statistics show that less than 1% of all confiscated fentanyl are found on the northern border. However, the Canadian officials have expressed the willingness to do more to combat the deadly synthetic opioid.

The other organizations, known as terrorist groups, are Kartell del Golfo and Cartel Unidos, also from Mexico. Tren de Aragua in Venezuela and the Mara Salvatruucha or MS-13, which began in California, but became a dominant criminal force in El Salvador.

The name effectively freezes the assets and property of a group.

“Banks and brokers will freeze the assets of these companies, which can then be the subject of confiscation, reluctance or decay,” said Mcguinty.

It is also a criminal offense to knowingly participate in activities of a listed terrorist group or to contribute.

The listing process begins with intelligence reports that indicate whether an organization knowingly carried out, pursued, pursue, or facilitated terroristist activity.

McGuinty said to pursue a group as a terrorist unit, follow a strict process that “has to fulfill a legal threshold”.

If the Minister of Public Safety is of the opinion that the threshold has been fulfilled, the minister can recommend the Bundeskabinett to add the organization to the list.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said that the RCMP had information that indicates that crime cartels are active in Canada.

“There is also strong intelligence that Canadians actually moved to Mexico and South America to facilitate the transport of certain goods to Canada,” said Duheme.

Canada recently appointed Kevin Brosseu, a former member of the RCMP and a former national security and intelligence consultant, as a fentanyl tsar who contributes to entering drugs in the USA

The Canadian government has also announced that they spend 1.3 billion US dollars of Canadian dollars (910 million US dollars) for higher limit security, including new helicopters, technology and personnel.

With information from AP

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