BORDER SECURITY UPPED

ALDERGROVE - It may be the longest undefended border in the world. But the
Canada-US border is about to have beefed up security along the 49th
parallel from the coastline of Washington State running eastward along Zero
Avenue and continuing as far into the province and state as the Columbia
River Valley.

Carey James, Chief Patrol Agent of the US Border Patrol says the $5-million
US pilot project, dubbed ISIS for Integrated Surveillance and Intelligence
System, should be up and running this month.

It's the first time the fibre optics system will be deployed between Canada
and the US, although James says ISIS is currently in operation on the
US-Mexico border.

"We have an excellent relationship with Canadian authorities, it's
absolutely unbelievable," James says. "Mexico is too open, we don't have
that type of relationship on the Mexican border."

Four years ago, James came to the Blaine office from El Paso, Texas, where
he was involved with tactical and special operations on the US-Mexico
border, including the canine program. In Blaine, his jurisdiction includes
the borders between Canada and Alaska, and Canada and Western Washington
through to the Columbia River Valley. Others are responsible for the actual
ports of entry, including Aldergrove.

Sensors have been planted along the border for several years now and are
working well, according to James. When a sensor pattern is established,
agents on both sides of the border are alerted and the interception is
made. James says the new ISIS will greatly enhance the ability of
authorities on both sides of the border to intercept individuals intent on
smuggling drugs or people.

"It's not a spy network like the media likes to portray it," James says.
"The cameras are not hidden, they're visible along the border because
they're meant to be a deterrent."

The existing sensors will tie into the new ISIS. Cameras will focus in on
the activity, which may turn out to be only the movement of a deer or other
large animal.

"It adds to officer safety," James says. "The officer will know what to
expect when he gets there. And with fibre optics, we have the ability to
control, maneuver the camera and keep the object in sight."

James also has the authority to call in a pilot and airplane on short
notice, and as far as the shoreline is concerned, he has the cooperation of
the US Coast Guard. He answers to both the Department of Justice and the
Department of Immigration and Naturalization.

James explains that the difference between smuggling Mexican marijuana and
B.C. "bud" into the US is huge. A pound of Mexican marijuana may be worth
$800 US at the Mexico-US border, but a pound of BC bud fetches $2,500
Canadian and as soon as it gets across the border it goes to $3,000 US.
Once in Seattle and the US interior, James says it's worth $6,000 US a pound.

The penalty for drug smuggling at certain "threshold" levels in the States
is life imprisonment, and James says he hates to be critical but "Canada is
too lenient on its smugglers." He also has concerns with the quality of
B.C. bud.

"I don't think long range studies have been done on the high potency (of
B.C. bud)," James says. "It's unknown what it does to users."

And while Chinese boat migrants grabbed headlines during their much
publicized landing in B.C. last summer, James says his concern is with
illegal Mexicans and Koreans entering the US by way of Canada.

He blames the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for the 150
percent increase in the numbers of Koreans flying into Vancouver without a
visa requirement, and then being smuggled into the US.

Mexicans use Canada's visa waiver program to fly Mexico to Canada and then
try to get across the border into the US where they do require a visa.

James says the usual routine is for the Korean or Mexican to enter Canada
legally as a tourist. They're then moved to a safe location and eventually
brought across the US border at some remote point. They're met and taken by
a vehicle to an interior US destination.

The Chinese boat migrants, James says, traveled through Canada on their way
to Vermont, New York or Michigan where US guides attempted to get them over
the border in remote areas. Peace Arch Park in Surrey is another favorite
spot to test the border patrol, even if it is urban, James says.

"We have had successful interdictions when we've apprehended aliens, and
the guides have made it back to Canada to be taken into custody there,"
James says, comfortable with the language that is totally appropriate given
his deadly serious demeanor when speaking of his job.

He rolls his chair over to a bookcase where he checks to ensure he's
correct in stating the penalty for human smuggling.

" . . . starts with a $5,000 fine and two years for each person," he says,
reading from an official handbook.

Being caught with a certain quantity of marijuana, growing the stuff or
smoking it calls for "much stiffer penalties," than human smuggling, James
says. He blames the huge profits in smuggling for the continued pressure on
the long, unguarded border. And as for the popularity of B.C. bud, James
says "interdiction, education and treatment" is the answer.

"The US has seen a significant decrease in criminal activity, because we've
been locking a lot of (smugglers) up," he says. "But we got away from
education, we need to refocus on education."

He warns that the only reason the criminal activity is reduced is because
the criminals are in jail. But the US "will start releasing them," James
says, and the criminal activity will begin to rise again, unless drug
education and treatment programs are funded and put into place.

ISIS is fully funded by the US government, without support from Canada,
says RCMP Sgt. Glen Anderson, James' counterpart in Canada. He reinforces
James' sentiments about the excellent working relationship the two
countries enjoy, but makes a distinction between the problems each face.

"Our biggest concern is with organized crime and what they are able to sell
in the US for profit," Anderson says. As head of the RCMP Border
Enforcement Team, Anderson identifies illegal commodities being smuggled
north into Canada as drugs, cash and firearms. He very much supports the
new ISIS as one more tool in the whole law enforcement picture along the
border.

"On a daily basis, we share resources, equipment and personnel with the US
Border patrol," he says, "We work very closely."