Home Defence, Security and Foreign Policy IBETs

Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs)

Integrated Border Enforcement Team program is a multi-faceted law enforcement initiative comprised of both Canadian and American partners. This bi-national partnership enables the five core law enforcement partners involved in IBETS to share information and work together daily with other local, state and provincial enforcement agencies on issues relating to national security, organized crime and other criminality transiting the Canada/US border between the Ports of Entry (POE). The IBET mandate is to enhance border integrity and security at the Canada/United States border by identifying, investigating and interdicting persons and organizations which pose a threat to national security or are engaged in other organized criminal activity. Today's national IBET partner agencies from Canada and the US are:

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• US Customs and Border Protection/Office of Border Patrol (CBP/OBP)
• US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• US Coast Guard

More specifically, IBET is an intelligence-led cooperative that supports national security investigations associated with the Canada/US border and investigates cross-border illegal activities, between the POEs. Intelligence is developed and shared with all IBET partners in strict accordance with applicable laws, regulations and Agency/Departmental policies through appropriate protocols. IBET is a cooperative bilateral initiative that ensures borders are open for business, but closed to crime. There are 15 geographical IBET regions along the Canada/ US border. The RCMP has posted dedicated IBET personnel in 23 strategic locations within those Regions.

• Pacific (covers British Columbia and Washington)
• Okanagan (covers British Columbia , Idaho and Washington)
• Rocky Mountain (covers Alberta and Montana)
• Prairie (covers Saskatchewan, Montana and North Dakota)
• Red River (covers Manitoba, North Dakota and Minnesota)
• Superior (covers Ontario, Michigan and Minnesota)
• Sault St. Marie (covers Ontario and Michigan)
• Detroit/Windsor (covers Ontario and Michigan)
• Thousand Islands (covers Ontario and New York)
• Niagara Frontier (covers Ontario and New York)
• St. Lawrence Valley Central Region (covers Ontario and New York)
• Valleyfield (covers Quebec and New York)
• Champlain (covers Quebec, New York and Vermont)
• Eastern (covers Quebec, Vermont and Maine)
• Atlantic (covers New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine)

source: IBETs, May 2006

Canada — Committed Security Partner • Canada’s Immigration Policies — Misperception vs. Reality • Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)