The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have launched Black Hawk helicopter patrols to enhance security along the U.S.-Canada border, providing rapid response capabilities for illegal crossings, human trafficking and drug smuggling. The patrols began earlier this week and now cover Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba.
RCMP officials said the helicopters will monitor all illegal border activity, including crossings between ports of entry and criminal networks involved in smuggling.
The increased enforcement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pressures Canada to tighten border security, even threatening tariffs on Canadian exports. In response, Ottawa committed $1.3 billion to border security, investing in surveillance drones and new monitoring technology.
Black Hawk helicopters are being deployed to remote border areas
RCMP officials said the helicopters will allow teams to respond more quickly, particularly in remote areas where extreme weather and rugged terrain make border crossings dangerous.
In an interview with Global News, the RCMP’s chief superintendent and director general of serious and organized crime and border integrity said the agency began evaluating border security needs in 2023. While the Canadian government initially considered purchasing new aircraft, the RCMP opted to lease Black Hawks for immediate deployment.
“The range and speed of the Black Hawk allows it to be deployed very quickly to any location along the Alberta border, providing the RCMP with an enhanced rapid-response capability within the province,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Lisa Moreland, regional commander for federal policing in the northwest region, said.
Officials say there is no border ‘crisis’
Despite increased enforcement, Canadian authorities maintain there is no migration “crisis” at the U.S.-Canada border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 1.5 million migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border last year, compared to just 23,000 apprehensions at the northern border.
Beyond migration enforcement, the Black Hawks will also target human trafficking and drug smuggling. While U.S. agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the northern border last year, that amount is compared to the 21,000 pounds intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border. Still, officials said cross-border drug trafficking remains a growing concern.
Broader border security measures coming into place
The helicopter patrols are part of a larger strategy that includes new surveillance towers and joint enforcement efforts with the U.S. The RCMP has also deployed officers to coordinate with Integrated Border Enforcement Teams on the ground to detect and intercept illegal activity.
Residents near the border may see or hear the helicopters regularly, but RCMP officials say these are routine patrol operations and do not pose an immediate public safety threat.
