Fentanyl precursors diverted from Mexico to B.C., Trump’s FBI director claims in Joe Rogan interview

FBI director Kash Patel appears on an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience." (YouTube/Joe Rogan Experience)

The B.C. government is pushing back on claims made by FBI director Kash Patel while discussing the fentanyl crisis with comedian Joe Rogan.

Appearing on the latest episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Patel told the host fentanyl precursor chemicals from China are being sent to Mexico and Canada to bypass U.S. drug enforcement efforts.

“What they’re doing now to get cute is they’re shipping that stuff not straight here,” said Patel, an appointee of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The FBI director also claimed the Trump administration’s efforts to stop fentanyl from coming over the Mexican border have resulted in more precursor chemicals being diverted to B.C.

“They’re having the Mexican cartels now make this fentanyl down in Mexico still, but now instead of going right up the southern border and into America, you know what they’re doing?” Patel asked Rogan.

“They’re flying it into Vancouver. They’re taking the precursors up to Canada, manufacturing it up there, and doing their global distribution routes from up there because we’ve been so effective down south.”

The basis of the claims is unclear.

B.C. Public Safety Minister Garry Begg was unavailable for an interview Friday, but issued a statement to CTV News referencing U.S. government statistics that show “less than one per cent” of fentanyl seized at that country’s borders last year came from Canada.

“It’s no surprise that Trump’s appointee would use his position to continue the president’s narrative to justify his tariffs,” Begg said. “Their Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Drug Threat Assessment report in 2023 and 2024 didn’t even mention Canada.”

Trump declared a fentanyl-related emergency as a justification for imposing some of his new tariffs earlier this year – a move the U.S. Court of International Trade found was unconstitutional in a ruling last week.

Begg said that even though only a “small fraction” of U.S.-seized fentanyl comes from Canada, his government takes the issue seriously.

“Police in B.C. are actively investigating and enforcing illegal drug manufacturing and trafficking in our province,” he said, adding that his government has also been advocating for more federal resources to assist in the efforts.

CTV News reached out to the Vancouver Police Department on Friday afternoon for comment on Patel’s claims, but has not received a response.

In the same interview, the FBI director accused the Chinese government of targeting the U.S. with fentanyl to “take out generations of young men and women who might grow up to serve in the United States military, or grow up to become a cop or a teacher.”

“That is such a dark, dark thing,” said Rogan, with a furrowed brow.

Patel, who was lighting a cigar at that point, replied: “It is, but we’re on it.”