CBC News

· Posted: May 09, 2026 1:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

U.S. authorities announced on Friday that three men — two of whom have Canadian citizenship — have been charged in New York state with allegedly attempting to smuggle dozens of firearms into Canada.

A joint statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said three men in their 20s were arrested following a traffic stop on Thursday while travelling on State Route 90, in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, about 200 kilometres east of Buffalo.

The statement said a search of their vehicle found 89 firearms, including at least 17 that were reported stolen, destined for Canada.

"Illegal firearms trafficking threatens the safety of our communities and fuels violent crime,” said Bryan DiGirolamo, the special agent in charge of the ATF's New York field division.

The statement said one suspect, 22, is a citizen of Canada, while another, also 22, holds citizenship from Canada, the U.S. and Jordan. The third suspect, 25, is a Pakistani citizen.

WATCH | Majority of guns coming into Canada from U.S., data shows:

All three men were charged with one count each of smuggling; unlicensed dealing in firearms; transporting stolen firearms in interstate commerce; and unlawful possession of firearms. Cumulatively, the maximum sentence each would face if convicted on all counts is 35 years in prison.

The suspect who solely has Canadian citizenship was additionally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.

'Vast majority' of crime guns in Canada from U.S.

In Canada, crime committed with guns originating from the U.S. has long been an issue.

For instance, 88 per cent of the 717 crime guns seized by the Toronto Police Service in 2024 were traced to the United States.

In 2022, the Canada Border Services Agency seized 581 firearms coming into Canada from the U.S. That figure jumped to 839 in 2024, according to the agency's data.

Jooyoung Lee, a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto who studies the underlying causes and long-term consequences of gun violence, previously told CBC News that "the vast majority of crime guns in Canada" come from U.S. states with "much more lax and porous gun laws."

"There's not really this clandestine network that we see in Hollywood films of sophisticated purchasers who then reroute to some underground market," Lee said.

"It's really that some individuals go into stores and if they don't get disqualified at the time of purchase and they pass the background check, they get the firearm and leave that day."