Alberta-Montana border on premier’s radar

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

 Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods may be no more than a bluff to provoke his neighbours to action, but economists are taking it seriously. The panic over what those tariffs would do to the national economy seems justified when those experts explain that their calculations predict a disastrous outcome.

 Trump is drawing a line in the sand, and that line can be perfectly superimposed over the borders that the U.S. shares with Canada and Mexico. Illegal immigrants and drugs are the enemy and the incoming president has made it clear that he won’t tolerate either.

 In response, Alberta’s government is taking a closer look at the Montana border, which is only a hop, skip, and a jump from this region. The Alberta-Montana border shares six points of exit/entry, and the Province is talking about adding security up and down the line.

 The border is federal jurisdiction secured by the Canadian Border Services Agency, but the Province is responsible for policing the land adjacent to it. On Nov. 28, Premier Danielle Smith said, “We’re prepared to put our resources that are under our control into service and make sure that we’re protecting our part of the border.”

 Of course, both sides are most critically interested in their incoming traffic, and each side is responsible for beefing up its own security. Each is understandably more concerned about what’s being allowed in than what’s sneaking out.

 While the number of illegal crossings at the Mexico/U.S. border dwarfs that of those on the northern border, the U.S. has claimed that more illegals with suspected ties to terrorism try to sneak across from within Canada.

Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis told media that the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team is concerned about the inflow of drugs, weapons, and humans. The Province could implement a special border patrol unit to operate like the specialized fugitive apprehension team of sheriffs, who support provincial police services. Drones could be added to the fleet of security equipment.

Trump’s threat has struck fear and mobilized politicians to make changes that may persuade him to let the threat stand idle. Meanwhile, the southern Alberta border, in spite of its remoteness, certainly hasn’t lacked intrigue. Some criminal plots are thwarted by the CBSA, and some certainly go undetected.

 Between ports of entry, the RCMP is responsible for patrolling the border territory. The CBSA’s jurisdiction reportedly extends only 100 metres laterally before the RCMP takes over.

 The CBSA reported that from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2023, it seized a total of 77 firearms and hundreds of kilograms of drugs, including nearly a metric tonne of meth at various points of entry in the prairie region.

 On Feb. 19, 2023, CBSA officers discovered and seized approximately 300 kg of methamphetamine following a secondary examination of a commercial transport vehicle at the Coutts border crossing. The drugs, which had an approximate wholesale value of $3.6 million, were hidden in several boxes in the rear of the vehicle.

 On Nov. 19, 2023, CBSA officers discovered and seized 52 kg of cocaine following a secondary examination of a commercial truck trailer at the Coutts border crossing. The drugs were worth approximately $3 million on the street and a Calgary man was arrested and charged with importing them.

 On Christmas Day 2020, a driver’s truck and trailer were searched at the Coutts crossing, and border officers found nine boxes in the trailer containing 228 kilograms of methamphetamine. The Lethbridge Herald reported in 2023 that the driver was acquitted after testifying during trial that he had no idea how the boxes had ended up in his trailer full of bananas, which he had hauled north from California. Reasonable doubt was cast when the driver explained that the company boss had given him unusual instructions for an overnight stop.

 As Canadian law enforcement tries to stifle the stream of incoming criminal elements, Trump is threatening his neighbours with punitive tariffs that could prove ruinous. The soon-to-be-president has been known to push the boundaries of legality, but is outraged by migrants and criminals trying to push the boundary called the U.S. border.

 Nevertheless, between the ports of entry where legitimate travellers attempt to cross over, the RCMP works alongside government and law enforcement partners on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border. It participates in joint operations with Canadian and American law enforcement partners, such as the United States Customs and Border Protection. It’s a partnership. And if Canada isn’t pulling its weight in the partnership, is a tariff threat the best way of asking for more cooperation? Even if not, it certainly got our attention.