BLACK HAWKS READY TO PATROL BORDER

Just days away from the fifth anniversary of the largest attack of
terrorism on American soil, the United States has beefed up border
security at the Montana-Alberta crossing.

In addition to traditional measures at the international boundary, the
perimeter is being observed from above by Black Hawk helicopters and
fixed-wing aircraft, housed in a new security base at the Great Falls
International Airport.

The aircraft will conduct random patrols and investigate suspicious
activities.

"We have a special arrangement with the Canadian government," said
Charles Albrecht, assistant chief patrol agent with the U.S. Border
Patrol at Havre, Mont. "We don't just fly over. There is one Black
Hawk there already and another one is on the way, or it could even be
there today."

But Albrecht is somewhat concerned, he said, over what appears to be
an ominous tone in Canadian media coverage regarding the use of Black
Hawks.

"The Black Hawk is a utility helicopter, capable of carrying large
loads," he said. "They can carry 12 individuals with gear, or
equipment, ATVs. A snowmobile could fit in there, or they can be
outfitted to carry a lot of extra fuel so they can fly for five hours,
instead of the usual two."

Black Hawks are newer versions of the UH1 Iroquois choppers --
nicknamed Hueys -- that gained fame during the Vietnam War. Black
Hawks are UH (utility helicopter) 60s, with improved engines and
larger capacity.

"There are no guns, there are no missiles aboard," Albrecht said. "Now
if we were using Apaches, I could see people worrying. Apaches are
designed for fighting, offensive and defensive."

With the dark stereotypes gone, laid-back Albertans may still wonder
why Uncle Sam is concerned over possible threats from the north.
Terrorism is the number-one priority for Homeland Security, Albrecht
said, and even though the odds of terrorism via Canada may be small, a
zero-tolerance approach to riff-raff of any sort is the order of the
day.

"If the word is out that smugglers never get across that border, then
terrorists will think twice about trying it, too."

The Montana-Alberta border has a storied past of smuggling and other
criminal activity spanning nearly a century, from back in the days
when Alberta was called the Northwest Territories.

In February 2004, 11 people were in custody after an attempt to
smuggle a group of Korean nationals on foot from Canada into the
States was thwarted at the Coutts-Sweetgrass border crossing. Members
of the Immigration and Passport section of the Calgary RCMP later
located three Korean men and seven Korean women in a Vulcan-area motel.

In July of the same year, an anonymous tip helped foil an attempt by a
group of South Koreans to cross into the U.S. from Alberta. That group
was discovered in a wooded area near Waterton Lakes National Park,
near the border.

That group consisted of 11 men and five women, 14 of whom hailed from
South Korea, one from China and one from Canada. Only the Canadian was
released without charges.

Whiskey Gap, an hour south of Lethbridge in a pass through the hills
near the Del Bonita border crossing, was a popular route across the
border through which to smuggle booze into Canada during prohibition.
These days, smugglers are packing drugs, weapons and humans.

In December 2005, a man attempting to get 32 kilograms of cocaine into
Canada from the American side was being chased by the border patrol
when he tried to drive through a fence and got stuck in the snow.
After leading police on a chase through the bush for more than 20
kilometres, he was caught and sentenced to 10 years in jail and
confessed to having made other trips across the border before being
caught.

Albrecht stressed helicopters used to patrol the border are police
helicopters, not military aircraft.

"This is a Homeland Security operation, not DOD (Dept. of Defense),"
he said. "It has nothing to do with defence. We're not worried about
being invaded by Canada. But on the humorous side, I do hope we can
get back that Stanley Cup by playing for it, not by coming up there
and taking it."

The Herald learned in May the sophisticated military choppers were
part of a bigger plan approved by the U.S. House appropriations
committee in the spring. Some $5.5 million was approved to establish a
border security base at Great Falls International Airport, which is
now complete. Albrecht said the base was created by refurbishing
existing buildings at the airport.

Last spring, Canada Border Services spokesman Lisa White said the
matter is an American security issue but added both countries have the
same goals.

"We work very closely together on border security issues," said White.
"Our officers are very vigilant, and there's the ongoing intelligence
work between the two countries."