The violence related to the massive smuggling of guns from the US into Mexico is well documented. But our neighbors to the north suffer from America’s weak gun regulations as well. The New York Times reports that Canadian law enforcement is struggling with large numbers of guns smuggled in via cars, boats and even drones.
In Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, 91 percent of handguns recovered from crimes in 2024 came in illegally from the United States, according to the provincial government. In Toronto, the country’s biggest city, 88 percent of all firearms recovered from crimes in 2024 were smuggled across the border, up from 51 percent in 2014, according to the Toronto police.
Across Canada, the homicide rate increased 33 percent from 2013 to 2023, largely because of firearm killings, which jumped 89 percent, according to government data.