US embassy cable - 05HALIFAX36

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ALIEN AND DRUG SMUGGLING ALONG THE MAINE BORDER

Identifier: 05HALIFAX36
Wikileaks: View 05HALIFAX36 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Consulate Halifax
Created: 2005-02-11 13:43:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: PINS PREF PREL SMIG SNAR CA Smuggling Narcotics
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HALIFAX 000036 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS, PREF, PREL, SMIG, SNAR, CA, Smuggling, Narcotics 
SUBJECT: ALIEN AND DRUG SMUGGLING ALONG THE MAINE BORDER 
 
REF: 04 VANCOUVER 1207 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  Smuggling of Asians and drugs across the 
U.S.-Maine border is ongoing, according to the US Customs and 
Border Protection (CBP) Intelligence Unit in Houlton, Maine. 
While lacking hard numbers, CBP believes it is also a growing 
phenomena.  Smuggling of Koreans is relatively easy, they said, 
as Koreans can enter Canada without a visa.  Combined 
U.S.-Canadian law enforcement efforts along the border have had 
some recent successes in confronting this problem.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) On February 4, press reported the sentencing of four 
Koreans who were arrested after being smuggled across the Maine 
border near Houlton on January 31.  Reportedly the four were 
spotted by border agents using infrared monitors during 
nighttime patrol flights.  They received US$ 500 fines, 5 days 
in jail, and will be deported to Korea. 
 
3. (SBU) The CBP Intelligence Unit in Houlton, Maine told us the 
two smugglers involved in the operation were caught in Canada 
and are being detained by Canadian Immigration.  One of the 
smugglers is a naturalized Canadian citizen, who has been 
previously convicted for alien smuggling and the second is a 
Korean permanent resident of Canada, who will be deported to 
Korea.  This is part of an operation based out of Ontario.  The 
case reports show that the aliens fly into Pearson Airport in 
Ontario and are then smuggled through Detroit or Buffalo.  Since 
2000, the smugglers have been using the Maine border as well for 
smuggling not only people, but drugs.  CBP added they had 
recently arrested a Vietnamese in the U.S. who was sending US 
$137,000 worth of drugs and currency to Canada.  Houlton CBP is 
also working with the RCMP IBET team on another smuggling 
instance in which 18 Asians crossed the Saint John River into 
Maine sometime in January. 
 
HILL 

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