The Alberta government is introducing a new patrol unit to combat drug smuggling, gun trafficking, and illegal migration across its border with Montana, aiming to enhance provincial security and strengthen ties with the United States.
The Interdiction Patrol Team will include over 50 uniformed officers, 10 support staff, four drug-sniffing dogs, 10 cold-weather surveillance drones, and four narcotics analyzers to detect illicit substances, Premier Danielle Smith said during a Dec. 12 press conference. The unit is set to become operational early next year at a cost of $29 million.
“We cannot take concerns about border security lightly,” Smith said. “By establishing this new team of sheriffs at our southern border, we are actively working to address security concerns and stop the criminals whose activities are destroying lives on both sides of the border.”
The province will also create a two kilometre-deep critical border zone, where sheriffs will be able to arrest individuals found attempting to smuggle drugs or firearms, or trying to cross the border illegally, without requiring a warrant. The zone will be established by amending the province’s Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, and it will not apply to residents travelling legally.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian and Mexican products when he takes office in January, unless the two countries address the flow of illegal immigration and drugs at their borders with the United States.
Canada’s premiers met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some members of the federal cabinet on Dec. 11 to discuss responses to the U.S. tariff threat. This was the second such meeting since Trump announced the potential tariffs, and the first since Trudeau met with the president-elect in Florida in November.
Smith said the prime minister and other premiers have been told about Alberta’s plan to introduce new border security measures.
“It doesn’t mean that Alberta intends or wants to act alone when it comes to securing the border,” Smith said. “We'll obviously keep working closely with our federal counterparts at the Canada Border Services Agency as well as the RCMP.”
Smith added that the federal government has some border security initiatives “in the works” and may release more details in the Dec. 16 Fall Economic Statement.
Alberta’s new border plan was something the province had been working on for 18 months, Smith said, and would have been implemented regardless of Trump’s tariff threat. The latest announcement is the result of the province speeding up the process, she said.
“It’s the reason why we already have a number of officers that have been trained. We are going to be accelerating the acquisition of equipment. But this has been in the works for some time,” Smith said.
Following the Dec.11 meeting between the prime minister and premiers, Ontario Premier Doug Ford vowed to cut energy exports to the United States if Trump implements the tariffs. Ford also told reporters Ottawa is preparing retaliatory tariffs.
Commenting on Ford’s response, Smith said she does not support tariffs, and that her government’s approach “is one of diplomacy, not threats.”
“We’re making the case for Alberta oil and gas to be part of the solution to energy affordability, to energy security and to, generally speaking, North American defence security as well,” she said.
‘Zero Tolerance’
Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said he has been sounding the alarm about the need for increased border security, especially with regard to the fentanyl crisis and human trafficking.“Let today’s announcement be crystal clear and a message to all illegal drug dealers that you are not welcome here in this province,” he said at the Dec. 12 press conference. “We’re taking a zero tolerance stance on this issue, full stop.”
Since last year, provincial authorities have seized an estimated 10.7 kilograms of fentanyl, according to the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT). Most of the fentanyl seized in Alberta is manufactured in Western Canada, and its precursors are imported from outside the country, ALERT inspector Angela Kemp said at the press conference.
Most of the fentanyl precursors and illicit fentanyl imported into Canada comes from China, according to Public Safety Canada.
Ellis said he’s been in contact with the Canada Service Agency and the RCMP, and that they supported Alberta’s new measures. Ellis also said the province is evaluating options for exercising provincial jurisdiction over the prosecution of drug charges related to the Canada-U.S. border. Under Canada’s legal system, drug trafficking offences fall under federal jurisdiction.
“To be clear, there will be strict provincial punishment for drug dealers,” Ellis said.
