EDMONTON — Mounties say they thwarted two illegal border crossings in Alberta this week, with nine people detained and another dead after fleeing from police.
Assistant Commissioner Lisa Moreland told a news conference that an American national tried on Tuesday to cross into Canada from the United States at the border crossing at Coutts, Alta., but fled after being asked to pull over to be searched.
She said the man led police on a chase through the Alberta communities of Lethbridge and Raymond, before officers managed to hit the vehicle’s tires with a spike belt near Milk River, about 20 kilometres from the border.
The man fled on foot and was pursued by officers and a police dog. He later shot himself and died, said Moreland.
She said the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the death.
Just 24 hours earlier, nine people, including five children, of Colombian and Venezuelan descent were detained after they tried to walk across the border into Alberta near Coutts, Moreland said.
"All nine individuals were arrested under the Customs Act and were handed over to (the Canada Border Services Agency) for processing," Moreland said.
Neither Moreland nor the CBSA's assistant director of intelligence and enforcement, Greg Valentine, provided details on whether the nine have since been deported, are seeking asylum or are facing criminal charges, citing the federal Privacy Act.
"What I can say is that CBSA's responsibility is to determine the admissibility of each person under the laws and the acts which we enforce, and ultimately each person is dealt with in the same manner," Valentine said.
The cases come three weeks after six people were detained trying to illegally cross the border into Canada near Emerson, Man.
RCMP said one of its planes spotted the group walking across the border. The six, who were arrested and transferred to the CBSA, were from Jordan, Sudan, Chad and Mauritania.
Moreland said the three cases show that the RCMP and the CBSA are more than capable of tackling border issues — something U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed to as a reason for potentially imposing massive tariffs on Canadian goods and energy.
"I want to be clear, we have the partnerships, the technology and the resources in place to respond to the border and stop illegal activity," Moreland said.
"By working closely with CBSA, as well as our provincial and U.S. law enforcement partners, we can detect and arrest those who attempt to cross the border that we share."
When asked if the RCMP feel like pawns in the ongoing tariff conversation, Moreland said Mounties are just trying to do their jobs.
"I think we're just focused on what we do day in and day out," she said. "We're here to protect Canadians — that's our job, and that's what we're here to do.
"I would say the morale is high."
Fentanyl has become a focus point this week after Ottawa negotiated a one-month delay on the U.S. tariffs by promising, among other things, the appointment of a "fentanyl czar."
Moreland said no fentanyl was seized in the three cases.
Ottawa also promised to label Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations and boost border surveillance, while committing to spending an additional $200 million on border security on top of its $1.3-billion commitment in December.
Earlier Wednesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she has instructed her government to take immediate steps to increase police and prosecutorial resources to go after fentanyl labs, "kingpins" and dealers.
Her comment came shortly after a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and premiers as discussions continue about avoiding Trump's tariffs.
Smith has already committed $29 million to beefing up border security in the province, by expanding the Alberta Sheriffs and purchasing drones to patrol southern parts of the province.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2025.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press