CBSA in British Columbia and Yukon Territory: Highlights from 2025

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 10, 2025 /CNW/ - 

Backgrounder

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) highlights results and accomplishments in the province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory for the period between January 1 and October 31, 2025.

Overview

The CBSA plays a critical role supporting the economy and security of Canada. We enforce laws at our border to protect Canada and facilitate the flow of travellers and goods to keep our economy strong. We intercept illegal drugs, guns, and weapons and prevent them from entering or leaving the country. We remove people who should not be in Canada, including those involved in terrorism, organized crime, and war crimes. We promote Canadian business by administering trade legislation and agreements and collect applicable duties and taxes on imported goods.

The CBSA operates from more than 200 sites across British Columbia. The CBSA also provides services in the Yukon, where Border officers welcome travellers and cargo at Whitehorse International Airport, 4 small airports, and 2 land ports of entry.

A strong border: CBSA activities in British Columbia and in the Yukon to protect Canadians and keep communities safe

The CBSA serves as Canada's first line of defense by preventing illegal weapons and illicit substances from entering our communities.

Key statistics for British Columbia:

• 10,428 illegal narcotic seizures, including:
  • 1,041 kg of methamphetamines
  • 727 kg of cocaine
  • 303 kg of opioids
  • 14,279 kg of illegal cannabis
• 2,344 firearms and prohibited items seized, including:
  • 133 firearms
  • 727 Miscellaneous parts for firearms or magazines
  • 3,667 prohibited weapons
  • 450 prohibited devices
• $5,816,388 in currency seizures and suspected to be proceeds of crime.
• 194 arrests of impaired drivers. These arrests make up 44% of all impaired driving arrests across Canada's land borders.
• 185 stolen vehicles intercepted. This represents approximately $13 million worth of vehicles.
• 1,245 inadmissible individuals removed. Of these, 234 were individuals with serious inadmissibility including, criminality, involvement in organized crime, and security concerns.
• As of October 31, 2025, the CBSA Extortion Task Force initiated immigration related investigations into 78 individuals and removed two individuals from Canada.
• 7,325 detector dog searches, leading to 2,248 interceptions of prohibited food, plant or animals, and 579 seizures of drugs or firearms.

Activity highlights for British Columbia

• On September 3, 2025, the CBSA at Vancouver International Airport made one of its largest seizures of narcotics. CBSA Air Cargo officers detected and seized 241 kg of methamphetamine and 319 kg of cocaine in a shipment declared as car parts destined for Australia.
• In the Lower Mainland, CBSA border services officers at land ports of entry seized 62.6 kg of cocaine and 60.5 kg of methamphetamine. Additionally, on June 11, 2025, at Osoyoos port of entry, CBSA officers seized 70 kg of cocaine concealed in after-market compartments of a traveller's vehicle. This is the largest narcotics seizure to date at the Osoyoos border.
• In May 2025, CBSA border officers at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility intercepted 4,300 litres of precursor chemicals from China. The chemicals seized were precursors for fentanyl and the chemical commonly referred to as the 'date-rape drug'.
• CBSA recovered over $52 million after issuing an assessment against a food merchant wholesaler. The importer had a history of incorrectly classifying their goods and disregarded multiple warnings by CBSA to comply with tariff classification.
• On May 21, 2025, a Nanaimo resident was sentenced to five years imprisonment along with a lifetime firearm prohibition following a CBSA investigation launched after three firearm suppressors were intercepted by CBSA Air Cargo officers at the Vancouver International Airport. CBSA criminal investigators, with the help of law enforcement partners, executed search warrants at Cody Edward Ranger's residence. As a result, a number of illegal firearms and dangerous drugs were seized.

Activity highlights in the Yukon

• On May 24, 2025, CBSA officers at the Beaver Creek port of entry conducted an exam on a lone U.S. traveller. Border officers located a firearm frame concealed in the trunk, additional components of the firearm in various after-market compartments, along with undeclared cannabis and cigars. The subject was arrested and the CBSA is pursing criminal charges for smuggling, providing false statements, and possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition. In total, Beaver Creek port of entry seized a total of 7 prohibited firearms, 3 restricted firearms and 14 non-restricted firearms in 2025.

Facilitating the flow of travellers into Canada

In the province of British Columbia, the CBSA:

• welcomed more than 16.6 million travellers.
• conducted 63,099 NEXUS interviews to support trusted travellers.
• has processed 1,104 asylum applications as of November 30, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 1,804 asylum applications in British Columbia.

Supporting the economy

The CBSA's work helps keep Canada's trade routes open, ensuring that our economy remains strong and responsive to the needs of Canadians.

In the province of British Columbia, border services officers:

• processed 477,619 commercial trucks and 1,167,817 marine containers.
• processed 31 million courier shipments.
• assessed a total of $16,029,779 in duties and taxes.
• assessed over $16 billion in value for duty on goods imported by Trusted Traders.

Quotes

"I have visited CBSA officers at ports of entry across the country and seen up close their commitment and dedication. I have also seen the enthusiasm of the newest cohort of CBSA graduates as we begin to hire the 1,000 new border officers we promised. I want to thank all those who work for the CBSA for their extraordinary work this past year and for all they do to protect our communities and support our economy. We are continuing to bolster these efforts by hiring more officers and investing in our Border Plan to keep Canadians safe."

– The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety

"I cannot overstate the importance of the work CBSA officers do each and every day.  Their vigilance in intercepting fentanyl and other illicit substances before they reach our communities has had a profound impact on the safety of all Canadians.  As a vital part of Canada's enforcement ecosystem, their work with partners helps stop harm before it starts.  I thank them for their professionalism and the very real role they play in saving lives, strengthening our borders, and reinforcing the trust of Canadians."

– Kevin Brosseau, Canada's Fentanyl Czar

"CBSA officers stand on guard for Canada every hour of every day. They work diligently to protect our communities and our prosperity. In 2025, the CBSA stopped transnational organized crime networks at our front door, found foreign companies that undervalue their goods and charged them, and stopped and removed inadmissible foreign nationals who try to come to Canada under false pretenses. And we are gearing up to do the same and more in 2026."

– Erin O'Gorman, President, Canada Border Services Agency

National results

For an overview of 2025 CBSA results and accomplishments across Canada:

• National 2025 CBSA year in review news release
• National 2025 CBSA year in review "Accomplishments by the numbers" 

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SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency