Home Newsroom 2005 News releases (archive) 2005-05-18: Cross-border crime

Canada-U.S. cooperation to tackle cross-border crime

With the longest shared border in the world, Canada and the U.S. enjoy an extensive history of working collaboratively to ensure border security, while promoting legitimate trade and travel. Some achievements to date in cross-border collaboration include:

Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America

Prime Minister Paul Martin, U.S. President George Bush, and Mexican President Vicente Fox unveiled a blueprint for a safer and more prosperous North America when they announced the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) on March 23 in Waco, TX. They agreed on ambitious security and prosperity agendas to keep our borders closed to terrorism and open to trade. The SPP is based on the premise that security and our economic prosperity are mutually reinforcing, and recognizes that our three great nations are bound by a shared belief in freedom, economic opportunity, and strong democratic institutions.

By building on the achievements of the 2001 Smart Border Declaration and Action Plan, the SPP provides the framework to ensure that North America is the safest and best place to live and do business. The Partnership is a trilateral effort to increase security and enhance prosperity among the three countries through greater cooperation and information-sharing. It includes efforts to develop and implement a comprehensive North American strategy for combating transnational threats to the three countries, including terrorism, organized crime, illegal drugs, migrant and contraband smuggling, and human trafficking.

Cross-Border Crime Forum

In 1997 the Prime Minister of Canada and U.S. President created the annual Canada-U.S. Cross Border Crime Forum (CBCF) to address transnational crime issues. This model of cooperation and information sharing between Canada and the U.S. has been showcased as a model for cross-border law enforcement collaboration by other organizations, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Organization of American States (OAS). Canadian and American officials are currently conducting a joint cross-border threat assessment on human trafficking, which will be presented at the 9 th Cross Border-Crime Forum in Washington.

Integrated Border Enforcement Teams

I ntegrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs) were established in 1996 to help protect Canada and the United States from potential threats of terrorism, and impede cross-border criminality. The U.S. is Canada ’s principal trading partner, and more than 300,000 persons cross the border daily. The IBETs enhance and complement existing security and safe trade measures, to help ensure a seamless and secure border.

Under the overall direction of the CBCF, these teams operate in 15 regions along the Canada-U.S. border. IBETs are multi-agency, international teams that include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada Border Services Agency , U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Since their inception, IBETs have effectively disrupted smuggling rings and confiscated illegal drugs, weapons, liquor, tobacco and vehicles, resulting in numerous arrests. IBETs have also intercepted criminal networks attempting to smuggle illegal migrants across the border and have provided valuable intelligence to national security investigations.

Cracking down on the Cross-Border Drug Trade

Sharing the same objectives -- to reduce the supply and consumption of illicit drugs, and the serious consequences that they pose to our societies, our citizens, and particularly, our youth -- Canada and the U.S. are united in their resolve to work together more closely through the CBCF in managing drug issues. Through data- and intelligence-sharing exercises such as the 2004 Border Drug Threat Assessment, the two countries are focusing their efforts to build upon past successes and respond strategically to shared challenges.

Operation Candy Box / Project Okapi / Project Codi, which were executed in March 2004, are among the shared successes we have achieved to date. These joint efforts dismantled an international organized crime network that was responsible for the production and trafficking of Ecstasy and marijuana in our two countries. Law enforcement officials from both countries arrested more than 130 individuals in 19 cities, and seized over 877,000 MDMA pills, 120 kilograms of MDMA powder, and $6 million.

Combating Cross-Border Firearms Trafficking

Both Canada and the United States are committed to stopping the cross-border flow of crime guns. To this end, a joint agreement is being concluded between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the RCMP to help law enforcement officials trace firearms that are confiscated at crime scenes.

The ATF and RCMP also announced an agreement in October 2004 to better exchange information between Canadian and American ballistics information networks. Under this agreement, analysts in Canada and the U.S. will have timely access to a database of ballistic information, which they can access using the same technology. Canadian and American law enforcement agencies will be able to tap into a wealth of North American ballistics information, making it faster and easier for them to investigate gun crimes.

Mass-Marketing Fraud

This past February, cross-border efforts between Canadian and American partners resulted in the dismantling of a transnational telemarketing fraud ring. Project CORAL targeted and dismantled a Montreal-based criminal organization involved in fraudulent telemarketing with the participation of the RCMP, Sûreté du Québec, Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, Competition Bureau of Canada, Immigration and Customs Enforcement of U.S. Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Postal Inspector Service and North Carolina Attorney General's Office. The criminal organization specialized in fraudulent misrepresentation with respect to pre-approved bank loans. Investigators found that 100,000 victims were defrauded of $45 million by this organization over a period of 18 months.

The Fight Against Terrorism

Canada and the United States continue to work together to fight against terrorism through such initiatives as the Proliferation Security Initiative, as well as through such mechanisms as the Bilateral Consultative Group. In Canada, the Anti-terrorism Act was carefully developed to combat terrorism, while ensuring that fundamental interests such as privacy and other human rights are respected. The ATA improves our ability to investigate, detect and prevent terrorist activities at home and abroad, including taking the necessary steps to deter and detect money laundering and to deny terrorists access to funding. It was also designed to allow Canada to work with the international community in the fight against terrorism. For example, it permitted Canada to implement the last two of the 12 United Nations (UN) anti-terrorism conventions - the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

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