Organized crime, drug pipelines: Why Windsor’s role in national fentanyl trade is so big

In an underworld of criminals, guns, and deadly fentanyl, Windsor is a national nexus.

Windsor’s place in Canada’s booming fentanyl trade was recently highlighted with a record-shattering 46-kilogram drug bust.

The $6.5-million fentanyl seizure, a joint-forces effort involving Windsor police and Ontario Provincial Police, was the largest in the history of either agency.

One look at a map makes it clear why drug smugglers and organized crime syndicates are drawn to Windsor, a central, high-traffic region wedged between the U.S. border and Highway 401 .

“In Windsor, our unique geographic location creates opportunity for criminal activity to our region,” Insp. David DeLuca, who oversees the Windsor police Investigative Support Branch, told the Star. “Criminal organizations are constantl