EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — The U.S. has teamed up with Canada to disrupt and dismantle gun smuggling operations at the northern border.
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Canada Border Services Agency earlier this month announced a new task force dedicated to stopping the illegal movement of firearms, ammunition, and explosive weapons across the U.S.-Canadian border.
The task force will ensure law enforcement partners on both sides of the border share and benefit from intelligence and information to address gun smuggling and trafficking, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release.
The partnering agencies include the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Public Safety Canada; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and various U.S. and Canadian police forces.
While to goal is to detect and intercept the illegal movement of firearms at the border, the task force must also ensure the legal movement of goods and services remains uninterrupted.
“As the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating international smuggling operations, we have full confidence in our ability to identify and prosecute criminal networks and individuals attempting to break these laws,” HSI Ottawa Attaché Michael Buckley said in a statement. “Through our strong partnership with Canada and our partnering law enforcement agencies, we will work to prevent the illegal export weapons and ensure they do not end up on the streets where they can be used to commit acts of violence.”
HSI is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating international smuggling operations and enforcing U.S. export laws. That includes the identification and prosecution of criminal networks and individuals responsible for the acquisition and movement of firearms and other dangerous weapons from the United States, as well as the seizure and forfeiture of money and valuable property derived from or used to facilitate this criminal activity, the news release says.
