CBSA officers in Quebec had a high-impact year in 2025, seizing large quantities of drugs, weapons and suspected crime proceeds while processing millions of travellers and commercial shipments through the province’s ports of entry.
- 01CBSA Quebec overview for 2025
- 02Major enforcement results: Drugs, weapons and cash
- 03Narcotic seizures
- 04Firearms and prohibited items
- 05Currency and proceeds of crime
- 06Notable cases and operational highlights
- 07Detector dogs and agricultural enforcement
- 08Facilitating the flow of travellers and asylum claims
- 09Trade, revenue and economic support
- 10Federal officials’ perspective on 2025 performance
CBSA Quebec overview for 2025
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) released a 2025 highlights backgrounder for the Quebec region covering the period from January 1 to October 31, 2025. The document underscores the CBSA’s dual mandate in Quebec: enforcing border laws to protect communities while keeping legitimate travel and trade flowing to support the economy. The region operates from multiple border locations, airports, marine terminals and mail centres across Quebec, forming a critical part of Canada’s frontline security network.
Major enforcement results: Drugs, weapons and cash
Narcotic seizures
CBSA officers in Quebec made 3,590 illegal narcotic seizures in the first ten months of 2025. These included:
These numbers reflect a sustained effort against cross‑border drug smuggling via commercial cargo, passenger traffic and mail/courier channels.
Firearms and prohibited items
In the same period, officers recorded 288 firearms and prohibited items seizures, broken down as:
- 44 firearms
- 2,327 miscellaneous parts for firearms or magazines
- 740 prohibited weapons
- 110 prohibited devices
This shows a strong focus on intercepting illegal firearms, component parts, and prohibited devices before they reach criminal networks in Canadian communities.
Currency and proceeds of crime
CBSA Quebec also seized $17,521,322 in currency suspected to be proceeds of crime, almost double the $9,285,396 seized over the comparable period the previous year. Officers also made 32 impaired driving arrests at or near ports of entry and intercepted 818 stolen vehicles, highlighting their role in tackling vehicle theft rings and money laundering schemes linked to cross‑border crime.
Notable cases and operational highlights
The 2025 highlights include several high‑profile enforcement actions in Quebec:
- Major rail cocaine seizure – March 19, 2025 (Montreal)
At the CN Taschereau rail yard, border services officers examining a container originating in Mexico and transiting through the United States seized 119 bricks of cocaine weighing 142 kg. - Weapons and cash seizure – August 6, 2025 (St‑Anicet)
CBSA investigators from the Weapons Smuggling Integrated Enforcement Team (WSIET), assisted by the Sûreté du Québec, searched a residence in St‑Anicet and seized 180 long guns, 1 handgun, multiple receivers, 4 prohibited weapons, 7 silencers, high‑capacity magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition, CAD $169,000, USD $30,000 and 11 electronic devices. The investigation stemmed from an intercepted package containing prohibited firearms parts at the Léo‑Blanchette Mail Processing Centre. - Ketamine in coffee and tea parcels – August 28 to September 5, 2025 (Léo‑Blanchette Mail Processing Centre)
CBSA officers seized 39.33 kg of ketamine concealed in seven parcels, hidden inside coffee and tea packets, leading to three arrests. - Undeclared cash and gold – October 23, 2025 (Montréal‑Trudeau Airport)
Officers at Montréal‑Trudeau Airport inspected two travellers transiting briefly in Canada en route to Turkey and discovered CAD $119,027 in undeclared currency and seven gold bars valued at approximately $2.1 million. The cash was seized as suspected proceeds of crime and the gold bars were turned over to the RCMP. - Vehicle cocaine seizure – October 24, 2025 (Saint‑Bernard‑de‑Lacolle)
At the Saint‑Bernard‑de‑Lacolle land border crossing, officers found 53 kg of cocaine in a vehicle belonging to two Canadian travellers, who were arrested and later charged by the RCMP.
These cases illustrate how the CBSA uses intelligence, partnerships and layered enforcement (rail, mail, airport, and land borders) to disrupt organized crime in Quebec.
Detector dogs and agricultural enforcement
Detector dog teams and agriculture specialists also played a key role in 2025:
- CBSA teams conducted 4,235 detector dog searches, resulting in:
- 1,601 interceptions of prohibited food, plants or animals
- 174 drug or firearm seizures
- 56 currency seizures
- Officers issued 610 Agriculture and Agri‑Food Administrative Monetary Penalties (AAAMPs) for food, plant and animal import violations, totalling $787,500 in penalties.
These activities help prevent invasive species, diseases and unsafe products from entering Canada through Quebec’s border points.
Facilitating the flow of travellers and asylum claims
Alongside intensive enforcement, CBSA Quebec continued to welcome large numbers of travellers. Between January 1 and October 31, 2025, border services officers in the region:
- Welcomed more than 10.8 million travellers at ports of entry.
- Conducted 21,095 NEXUS interviews, supporting trusted traveller programs and speeding up processing for low‑risk individuals.
On the protection side, CBSA Quebec processed 20,752 asylum applications as of November 30, 2025, down from 29,668 processed over the same period the previous year, indicating a significant decrease in the number of claims handled in the region compared to 2024.
Trade, revenue and economic support
The CBSA’s Quebec operations are also central to Canada’s trade and revenue picture. In the first ten months of 2025, border services officers in Quebec:
- Processed approximately 419,587 commercial trucks, moving goods across the Canada–U.S. land border.
- Processed over 7 million courier shipments, reflecting the sustained growth of e‑commerce.
- Processed 343,909 marine containers, anchoring Quebec’s role as a maritime trade hub.
- Assessed over $5.6 billion in duties and taxes on imported goods.
- Assessed over $29.2 billion in value for duty on goods imported by trusted traders.
These figures highlight how CBSA enforcement and facilitation activities in Quebec support supply chains, customs revenue collection, and compliance with trade rules.
Federal officials’ perspective on 2025 performance
In the backgrounder, federal officials emphasize the importance of CBSA’s work in Quebec and nationally:
- Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree highlights the dedication of CBSA officers, the recruitment of 1,000 new border services officers, and ongoing investments in the government’s Border Plan to strengthen safety and efficiency.
- Canada’s Fentanyl Czar Kevin Brosseau stresses how CBSA’s interception of fentanyl and other illicit substances has a direct impact on saving lives and preventing harm in communities across Canada.
- CBSA President Erin O’Gorman notes that in 2025 the Agency disrupted transnational organized crime, enforced trade rules against companies undervaluing imports, and removed inadmissible foreign nationals—setting the tone for continued and expanded efforts in 2026.
For Quebec specifically, the 2025 highlights show a region that is simultaneously fighting complex cross‑border crime and sustaining high volumes of legitimate travel and trade, making it a key pillar of Canada’s border security and economic resilience.
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