The provincial government says the first group of the Interdiction Patrol Team has been deployed to the Alberta – U.S. border.
In December, the Alberta government announced a $29-million investment into creating the team that is part of the Alberta Sheriffs department. The IPT will focus on limiting illegal cross-border activities, including drug and human trafficking, which impact those who live on both sides of the border. To date, the province has assigned 20 Alberta Sheriffs to the team, who will patrol between entry points and work at vehicle inspection stations on the Alberta side of the border.
In a statement, Premier Danielle Smith says the province sees there is a need to curb criminal activity at the border crossings and strengthen border security.
“In addition to launching our new Interdiction Patrol Team, we are building three new vehicle inspection stations and increasing highway monitoring for suspicious activity. Our plan will ensure that Alberta’s southern border is secure,” Smith says.
IPT members are reported to have already made three arrests connected to the alleged possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, assisted with four Northbound unauthorized border crossings and executed 18 warrants.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis says IPT members are boots on the ground that can help identify these types of activities and increase security, stopping cross-border trafficking of people, drugs and weapons in both directions.
“Alberta’s government is increasing border security and has zero tolerance for illegal activities that threaten the well-being of Albertans or Alberta’s economy,” Ellis says. “Let this be a message to all potential traffickers, especially those who traffic deadly fentanyl, you will get caught and you will go to jail.”
The IPT will be made up of 51 uniformed officers equipped with weapons for tactical operations, with 20 of these members already hired. The team will include support staff such as dispatchers and analysts, and cold weather drones. As well, there will be four drug patrol dogs that will be part of the IPT, providing reasonable suspicion for a vehicle search, and four narcotics analyzers to test for illicit drugs.
In addition to the work the IPT is already doing, the province has announced Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors is dedicating $15 million over two years to put three new vehicle inspection stations near the border “if Budget 2025 passes”.
The announcement reads, “This will give Sheriffs dedicated facilities to inspect commercial vehicles, whether they’re crossing into the United States or coming into Canada.”
These stations will be located at Dunmore on Highway 1, Burmis on Highway 3 and Coutts on Highway 4, and will include enhanced parking lanes for inspections, They will have winter-ready buildings for year-round inspections. The province’s highway maintenance contractors will also be trained to detect and report suspicious activity, adding extra eyes along the border.
