Office of National Drug Control Policy

ONDCP Excel Seventy-Fifth Row

Action Item Number: 
Action Item Name: 
Coordinate Efforts To Secure the Northern Border Against Drug-Related Threats
Action Item Description: 

The southwest border is a major focus of drug policy, but there are also considerable challenges on the northern border.

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MDMA/Ecstasy, marijuana, and methamphetamine are trafficked from Canada into the United States, while cocaine, bulk currency, and weapons are trafficked from the United States into Canada. Gang members, traffickers, and couriers move back and forth between both countries. The scale of synthetic drug-trafficking across the United States-Canada border is a serious concern for both governments. According to the 2010 National Drug Threat Assessment, the amount of MDMA seized at or between northern border ports of entry (POEs) increased 594 percent (from 312,389 to 2,167,238 dosage units) from 2004 to 2009. The United States benefits from a close, longstanding, and productive working relationship with Canadian law enforcement agencies. Canadian authorities and United States law enforcement agencies are already partnering through Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs) which identify, investigate, and interdict persons and organizations that pose a security threat or are engaged in other organized criminal activity. DHS leads United States participation in the IBETs, partnering with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency. These operations are vital and must be continued. United States agencies operating on the northern border will ensure that the necessary personnel, equipment, and technology are placed on or near the northern border and that information on threats and operations is shared both among all Federal agencies operating in the area and with State, local, and tribal partners in the region.

Lead Agency: 
DHS
Component(s): 
CBP