U.S. Customs and Border Protection is revealing some details about a multi-day border checkpoint operation that caused major northbound delays for travellers heading back into Canada.
Multiple unexpected checkpoints appeared just before the Peace Arch border crossing this past week.
“Every single car, they opened up the hood,” U.S. immigration lawyer, Len Saunders, who has worked in Blaine WA. for 25 years said.
“They went through the trunk of the car. They asked questions. It was not a random search. They are basically targeting every single car going in to Canada.”
U.S. border officials said as part of its national security mission, border agents routinely conduct inspections on outbound traffic.
“These inspections are a vital tool in apprehending wanted individuals as well as in seizing a variety of contraband, which ultimately makes our communities safer.”
The agency said that over four days of searches, officers found “some minor narcotics seizures and nearly 300 rounds of 9 mm ammunition as well as close to 40 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition.”
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“For additional reference, on the success of outbound operations, here is an example of an outbound meth seizure at Sea-Tac: Seattle CBP officers seize more than 18 pounds of meth and an outbound cocaine seizure in Detroit,” they added.
Saunders said what officers found at the Peace Arch and Blaine border crossing was “hardly anything.”
“It was a colossal waste of time, colossal waste of government resources.”
The number of Canadians heading to the U.S. continues to drop and the mayor of Blaine told Global News businesses are suffering.
“Anything that gives the impression that there is anything nefarious going on really doesn’t help,” Mayor Mary Lou Steward said.
“I really don’t want any more disruption to any kind of Canadian traffic coming down into Blaine. We really do need people to come back and shop in Blaine and go to the restaurants and just be here.”
Steward said they don’t get any notice these additional spot checks will be going on but they are not totally out of the blue.
For Saunders, he said this could be the “final nail in the coffin.”
“Nobody’s going to come down here if they hear that they may be subject to these inspections. So my hope is everything will go back to normal shortly and you won’t see these routine daily operations still in effect.”
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