RCMP Assistant Commissioner says Canada is more than qualified to protect its borders, 16 individuals arrested in recent days

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As part of ongoing efforts to surveil the Canada-U.S. border, RCMP have arrested 16 individuals attempting to enter Canada in recent days.

Assistant Commissioner Lisa Moreland says two of these occurrences took place at the Coutts, Alberta border crossing.

The first incident, on Monday, ended in the arrest of four adults and five youth with suitcases.

Then, on Tuesday at 7:45 a.m., a male drove into Canada without passing through inspection. A traffic stop was unsuccessful. He travelled to Lethbridge and then Raymond, where he was spotted with a firearm.

“A tire deflation device was successfully used south of Mill River, and the vehicle came to a stop. The male then fled on foot and was pursued…During the pursuit, the male sustained a self-inflicted firearm related injury, and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

The third, January 14th, event took place in Manitoba.

“At 7:30 p.m., a group of six individuals were heading towards the Manitoba border. An RCMP plane equipped with thermal imaging was actively patrolling the border and quickly located the six individuals. The plane then directed ground units to their location.”

Ground units followed the group into the nearby woods and all six were arrested without incident.

Moreland says these instances prove that Canada has the ability and resources to ensure the safety of its borders. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump made a deal that allowed a 30-day pause on impending tariffs if Trudeau agreed to additional border security measures.