Joint announcements from Canadian and U.S. government agencies

Canada's C$1.3B ($908M) Plan Includes Aerial Task Force, Joint Strike Force to Counter Trump's Tariff Threat

Dec 17, 2024, 10:46 PM

Canada has announced a comprehensive C$1.3 billion ($908 million) plan to enhance border security in response to threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian exports. The plan includes the establishment of an aerial intelligence task force, comprising helicopters, drones, and mobile surveillance towers, to be operated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This initiative aims to address Trump's concerns about the flow of migrants and fentanyl across the northern border. Additional measures include the creation of a joint strike force with the U.S. to target transnational organized crime, increased penalties for money laundering, and the deployment of new scanners and sniffer dog teams to combat drug trafficking. The funding for these measures was first announced in the government's budget update, and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has shared the plan with Trump's incoming border czar, Tom Homan.