There are relatively few illegal border crossings from Canada into the U.S. and the most common threat the U.S. faces in terms of illegal activity along its northern border is the two-way flow of illicit drugs, according to a new report the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) delivered to Congress.

The report says that for the past five years less than 800 illegal border crossers from Canada into the U.S. have been apprehended every year, most of them Canadian citizens. This compares to the hundreds of thousands apprehended every year along the U.S. southern border with Mexico, about two-thirds of whom are from Mexico, says the executive summary of the Northern Border Threat Analysis Report required by Congress.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent conducts a routine patrol along the U.S. border with Canada in Montana. Photo: CBP
A U.S. Border Patrol agent conducts a routine patrol along the U.S. border with Canada in Montana. Photo: CBP

The report says that “encounters with individuals associated with transnational crime or terrorism remain infrequent, and sensor technology plays an important role in locations where full-time deployment of enforcement personnel is not practical.” DHS issued the executive summary on Aug. 3.

Terrorist threats emanating from Canada are homegrown extremists who believe they can enter the U.S. and ports of entry without arousing suspicion, the report says.

Illegal drug flow is the most common threat between the U.S. and Canada, with some smugglers flying aircraft at low altitudes over mountainous areas to avoid detection “but there are no reports to suggest that the tactic is employed on a large scale.”

The maritime boundaries between the two countries are likely routes for transnational criminal organizations to exploit to smuggle drugs, people and contraband, it says, particularly given the “high density recreational boating traffic and short transit distances between the countries.”

DHS says its report provides a preliminary look at the capabilities and gaps of U.S. operations along the northern border, and plans to use the analysis to update its northern border strategy and develop an implementation plan.