It was a busy year for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers in the Southern Ontario Region (SOR).
The CBSA’s SOR includes Windsor, Sarnia, London, Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and surrounding communities.
CBSA superintendent Stephanie Robichaud says SOR officers made a number of seizures Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31.
"392 firearms and 2,819 weapons, we also seized 4,083 kg of narcotics, 1,742,976 kg of smuggled tobacco, and we had almost $2 million seized in undeclared currency."
Arrests and interceptions:
- CBSA officers intercepted 397 individuals wanted on outstanding warrants
- arrested 135 people for impaired driving-related offences and 1,406 for other criminality
- denied entry to 1,406 individuals for serious criminality
- reunited three missing children with their families
Robichaud says this year there were a couple of notable enforcement actions in Windsor.
"Back in October, our border services officers at the Ambassador Bridge seized 615 kg of suspected cocaine. It was in a commercial truck discovered in a shipment of grapes, that was declared, and this investigation is still ongoing."
In February, officers at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel port of entry seized 1 handgun, 1 assault-style rifle, 25 over-capacity magazines, 2 bladed rings, and 2 brass knuckles from a traveller. Customs Act charges were laid against the Michigan resident.
Robichaud says the CBSA has a plan in place to deal with any possible increase in asylum seekers after president-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025.
"Some of the things that we have in place, obviously we can't give all the details for security and operational reasons, but I can tell you that they're going to be including the reallocation of resources at some of our busier ports of entry, including here in Windsor, obviously the bridge, communication protocols and collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services and even our U.S. partners."
Border services officers at Southern Ontario ports of entry processed 10.5 million conveyances and 19.4 million people, accounting for 43 per cent of the national total of land border travellers.
4,400 asylum claims were processed in the region.
The CBSA in the SOR processed 2.7 million commercial conveyances, accounting for 65 per cent of the national total at land borders.
In addition, 10.2 million commercial entries were processed throughout Southern Ontario.
-With files from AM800's The Shift with guest host Meg Roberts and CTV Windsor