The Law Enforcement Cooperation Working Group

The goal of the Law Enforcement Cooperation Working Group is to develop and implement strategies to combat transnational threats to Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Major initiatives to combat terrorism and organized crime being undertaken by the group include:

Canada – U.S.

• Update the 2004 Drug Threat Assessment and subsequently develop a joint action plan.
• Develop a reciprocal policy and legal framework to govern cooperative/coordinated law enforcement initiatives along the border.
• Develop and implement strategies for interoperable radio communications for border enforcement and first responders.
• Improve cooperation on terrorist financing through enhanced information sharing.

Canada – U.S. – Mexico

• Develop a law enforcement response strategy for transnational terrorist incidents.
• Deploy law enforcement officers in foreign jurisdictions to advance investigations and prosecutions (the international liaison officer network).

Using an intelligence-led, enforcement-driven approach, Canada and the U.S. are working together to help stop illegal drugs, firearms and other contraband substances as well as illegal migrants from crossing shared borders. This effort has included, among others, the completion of a joint threat assessment on organized crime, a joint trafficking-in-persons assessment, and a joint firearms-trafficking overview report. As a result of this work, Canada and the United States are better situated to analyze and address shared law enforcement priorities.