ALIEN AND DRUG SMUGGLING ALONG THE MAINE BORDER

UNCLAS HALIFAX 000036

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PREF PREL SMIG SNAR CA
SUBJECT: ALIEN AND DRUG SMUGGLING ALONG THE MAINE BORDER

REF: 04 VANCOUVER 1207



1. (SBU) Summary: Smuggling of Asians and drugs across the
U.S.-Maine border is ongoing, according to the US Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) Intelligence Unit in Houlton, Maine.
While lacking hard numbers, CBP believes it is also a growing
phenomena. Smuggling of Koreans is relatively easy, they said,
as Koreans can enter Canada without a visa. Combined
U.S.-Canadian law enforcement efforts along the border have had
some recent successes in confronting this problem. End Summary.


2. (U) On February 4, press reported the sentencing of four
Koreans who were arrested after being smuggled across the Maine
border near Houlton on January 31. Reportedly the four were
spotted by border agents using infrared monitors during
nighttime patrol flights. They received US$ 500 fines, 5 days
in jail, and will be deported to Korea.


3. (SBU) The CBP Intelligence Unit in Houlton, Maine told us the
two smugglers involved in the operation were caught in Canada
and are being detained by Canadian Immigration. One of the
smugglers is a naturalized Canadian citizen, who has been
previously convicted for alien smuggling and the second is a
Korean permanent resident of Canada, who will be deported to
Korea. This is part of an operation based out of Ontario. The
case reports show that the aliens fly into Pearson Airport in
Ontario and are then smuggled through Detroit or Buffalo. Since
2000, the smugglers have been using the Maine border as well for
smuggling not only people, but drugs. CBP added they had
recently arrested a Vietnamese in the U.S. who was sending US
$137,000 worth of drugs and currency to Canada. Houlton CBP is
also working with the RCMP IBET team on another smuggling
instance in which 18 Asians crossed the Saint John River into
Maine sometime in January.

HILL