WASHINGTON —The U.S. government is attempting to harden the U.S.-Canada border against drug trafficking, especially through remote Indian reservations, according to its new northern border drug strategy to be released today.
A year in the making, the “National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy” pinpoints six tribal areas directly on the 4,000 miles of border between Washington and Maine, including the St. Regis Mohawk reservation in upstate New York, and 24 reservations on the Great Lakes or close to the border, including nine in Washington.
“Drug smugglers have been known to seek out tribal jurisdictions in order to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States,” the report said.
It singles out the St. Regis Mohawk reservation in far northern Franklin County, N.Y., as a border location “being used by a number of large-scale trafficking organizations to facilitate smuggling activities.” Local authorities have tracked drug loads moving through Franklin County to 31 states.
Overlapping federal, state, local and tribal jurisdictions and the rugged terrain have created “unique challenges” for law enforcement countering smugglers who specialize in bringing across highly potent, indoor-grown marijuana.
Although tribal communities employ their own police forces, resources to combat sophisticated traffickers often are “inadequate,” the strategy said.
The strategy document commits the U.S. government to helping tribal police forces add personnel and upgraded equipment, as well as improving coordination with agents from U.S. law enforcement agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The report praised increased levels of cooperation between Canadian and U.S. law enforcement, and also called for:
B Efforts to “deconflict” intelligence sharing so agencies avoid “miscommunication.”
B Enhanced inter-agency task forces and more outreach to border-region locals “who can serve as law enforcement’s eyes and ears in remote areas.”
B More high-tech monitoring systems and air-marine operations to help law enforcement, especially in winter months when traffickers move drugs on snowmobiles across frozen lakes.
BImproved joint operations with Canada to disrupt production of marijuana and the drug “ecstasy,” and improved cross-border cooperation on undercover operations and electronic eavesdropping.
