RCMP have deployed a Black Hawk helicopter with officers on board to patrol the Alberta-U.S border, augmenting ground efforts.
The move comes after President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods unless Canada remedies its alleged border security problems.
In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith launched a new unit under the Alberta Sheriffs called the Interdiction Patrol Team — the main objectives are to crack down on drug smuggling, gun trafficking, and illegal border crossings.
RCMP are paying approximately $5.3 million to lease the two Black Hawk helicopters. The amount covers the lease from an Ottawa-based company, Helicopter Transport Services, and includes not only the helicopters but also pilots, aircrew, and maintenance services.
The helicopters are deployed to enhance border security, including patrols along the Canada-U.S. border. The lease arrangement is part of a broader initiative to strengthen border surveillance and respond to security concerns from Trump.
The Havre border patrol sector, which covers most of the border between Canada and Montana, reported just 100 "encounters" — people apprehended for sneaking over the border between official ports of entry — in fiscal year 2024.
It's a relatively low number compared to the U.S.-Mexico border, where encounters are in the hundreds of thousands.
Approximately 20 kg of fentanyl were seized at the Canadian border with Montana in the last fiscal year. The amount, while significant, pales in comparison to the quantities seized at the U.S.-Mexico border, where over 9,500 kg were intercepted in the same period.
Trump may impose tariffs as soon as February 1 regardless of efforts to boost border security.