Dalena Reporters l December 22, 2025
One year after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced an ambitious provincial strategy to “lock down a leaky border” with the United States, the controversial initiative has produced mixed results strengthening patrols and deterrence in some sectors even as illicit cross-border activity appears to shift locations and patterns. The strategy, launched in December 2024 with a $29-million investment and formation of the Interdiction Patrol Team (IPT), was initially framed as a direct response to threats from then U.S. president-elect Donald Trump to impose tariffs unless Canada stemmed illegal immigration and the flow of drugs.
Smith’s government deployed a 51-member specialized force including K-9 handlers and drone operators focused on enhancing surveillance and interdiction along the southern boundary, particularly near the Coutts, Alberta crossing on the 49th parallel. The strategy also established a “red zone” within two kilometres of the border where Alberta sheriffs can arrest suspects without a warrant, a significant expansion of provincial law-enforcement powers.
Early in the rollout, Black Hawk helicopters and drones became familiar sights over ranchlands near Coutts, where residents reported routine aerial patrols. Within months, deputy geography near entry points along southern Alberta saw an uptick in coordinated federal and provincial enforcement activity.
However, Smith herself has since acknowledged that the original premise for the focus at Coutts that the crossing was a hub of smuggling may have been overstated. She noted in recent comments that Coutts “is not the huge traffic or transit route for … human smuggling, drug smuggling or trafficking” that many had expected, suggesting the strategy may need recalibration toward other areas where illegal activity is more concentrated.
This shift in characterization may also reflect the complexity of cross-border trafficking patterns. While Alberta’s border units have recorded a modest number of intercepted illegal entries including suspected human smuggling and minor contraband seizures federal agencies such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) highlight that much of the trade and travel occurs through official ports of entry, and interdiction remains primarily a national responsibility at those points.
Residents near the border have had varied reactions. Some welcomed the increased security presence as a deterrent to crime, while others expressed concern about potential impacts on daily life and cross-border family and social ties — long a feature of the region’s interconnected communities. Observers also note that the deployment of provincial resources has in some cases redirected traffickers to alternate crossing points beyond the immediate Coutts area, pushing enforcement challenges rather than eliminating them.
At the operational level, cooperation has improved between provincial sheriffs and the RCMP’s Integrated Border Enforcement Team, though formal intelligence-sharing between national and provincial units remains a work in progress. Experts argue that without closer federal leadership and data sharing, targeted provincial efforts may ultimately serve as tactical fixes rather than strategic solutions.
As Canada’s federal government continues to manage its own border enforcement responsibilities, Alberta’s experience stands as a high-profile case of provincial activism on security policy. One year on, Danielle Smith’s “leaky border” gambit framed by some critics as overly militarized and by supporters as necessary may be entering a new phase of assessment, refinement and potential redeployment of enforcement resources.
Published by Dalena Reporters.