Ontario is launching an initiative to bolster border security with the United States as the country faces tariff threats from the incoming U.S. administration.
Dubbed Operation Deterrence, the program targets illegal border crossings and the trafficking of drugs and firearms. Premier Doug Ford described the program as the province’s contribution to addressing cross-border illegal activity, an issue that has been brought to the fore since incoming U.S. President Donald Trump vowed last year to slap tariffs on all Canadian goods if Ottawa doesn’t beef up security.
“Ontario has been calling on the federal government to step up and address safety and security concerns at the border,” Ford said in a Jan. 7 press release. “We need to see words turned into visible action. In the meantime, Ontario is stepping up with Operation Deterrence.”
Part of that action, Ford said, are the 6,000 hours of focused patrols conducted by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers since Dec. 6, 2024.
Operation Deterrence includes a team of 200 officers who will work alongside frontline and speciality officers to identify, disrupt, and deter illegal border activities, Ford said in a social media post. The initiative will leverage fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, drones, boats, off-road vehicles, and foot patrol.
It will focus on areas outside the 14 official border crossings staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and complements existing efforts, such as the OPP’s Joint Forces Border Drug Interdiction Task Force, to protect the Ontario-U.S. border and combat cross-border illegal activity, the province said in the release.
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The initiative also involves the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, RCMP, CBSA, municipal police services, and expands a number of ongoing multi-jurisdictional drug investigations.
Trump threatened in late November to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian imports, citing concerns about illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl, crossing into the United States from both Canada and Mexico. Ford has since ramped up calls on the federal government for stronger border security.
“A more coordinated, Team Canada approach that includes more boots on the ground is the only way to detect, deter and disrupt illegal activity and ensure the safety and security of Canadian and American communities,” Ford said in the press release.
The federal government has pledged $1.3 billion over six years to bolster Canada’s border security, providing more resources to the RCMP, border services, and national security agencies to combat illegal drugs, firearms, and other threats.
Ottawa also released “Canada’s Border Plan,” outlining key areas of focus, including efforts to disrupt the illegal drug trade, introduce new law enforcement tools, enhance operational collaboration with the United States, increase information sharing with provinces and territories, and update immigration and asylum policies.
Public Safety Canada announced on Jan. 3 that the federal government is leading a series of border security exercises with provinces and territories. The first exercise was held that day with the Ontario government.
Other provinces have also announced their own plans to bolster border security. The Alberta government introduced a new patrol unit on Dec. 12 to combat drug smuggling, gun trafficking, and illegal migration along its border with the U.S. state of Montana. The Interdiction Patrol Team will include more than 50 officers, 10 support staff, four drug-sniffing dogs, 10 surveillance drones, and four narcotics analyzers, Premier Danielle Smith said during a press conference.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew also announced earlier in December that the province will deploy conservation officers to assist with surveillance at the U.S. border. He further pledged that the province will cover overtime costs for RCMP officers assigned to border patrol.
Carolina Avendano contributed to this report.
