cannabisnews.com: U.S., Canadian Prosecutors Trade Places 





U.S., Canadian Prosecutors Trade Places 
Posted by CN Staff on March 15, 2004 at 08:34:49 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press 
Federal prosecutors in Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, recently traded places as part of an effort to stem the smuggling of guns, drugs, cash and illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Canadian border. Robert Prior, director of the Federal Prosecution Service in Vancouver, and assistant U.S. attorney Janet Freeman traded homes and work places for six weeks in the first exchange of its kind between U.S. and Canadian prosecutors, U.S. Attorney John McKay said.
Even their pets were involved. "Janet and I traded homes," Prior said. "She brought her cats up and moved into my home, and I kept her fish living." A key purpose was to improve cooperation on smuggling cases, including the traffic of potent indoor-grown marijuana known as "B.C. Bud" into the United States and weapons and cocaine into Canada, Prior and McKay said. "The crooks have used the border as a shield," Prior said. Criminals "commit their offenses in one country and abscond to their home base. They have a feeling of being protected," he said. "What we want to work toward doing is to take away that feeling of being safe to commit crimes in one country and abscond to the other." The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating the apparent use of drug smuggling by Islamic terrorists to raise funds, criminal justice sources on both sides of the border told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. McKay said authorities are conducting a joint investigation of a complex cross-border criminal enterprise but would not any details. He and Prior said the prosecutor exchange was designed to give each office a closer look at the nuts and bolts of each legal system to improve the effectiveness of such joint investigations. "We're talking about the exchange of information, documents, and we're also talking about investigations," McKay said. "What was needed is a deeper understanding of the procedures used by the two governments." For example, Freeman cited the need to obtain testimony from a reluctant a witness in Canada in time to meet speedy trial requirements. "As you can imagine, a diplomatic process takes time because you are involving several layers of review," Freeman said. "Now that I'm here, I'm understanding what the Department of Justice in Canada requires to move along these witness requests," she said. "Hopefully, I can take a message to the prosecutors in my office, bring back helpful suggestions and ideas" on how to seek help from Canada. Canadian authorities could benefit from information provided by "people being picked up in the U.S. with a large amount of contraband," Prior said. "What the exchange is working toward is making sure those people don't slip through the cracks. "I have no doubt that when something comes up and we need assistance from the U.S. attorney in Seattle, we will get it without any hesitation." Information from: Seattle Post-IntelligencerComplete Title: U.S., Canadian Prosecutors Trade Places in New Border Alliance Source: Associated Press Published: March 15, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press Related Articles:US Faults Canada for Letting Drugs Across Border http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15345.shtmlBush Worried by Canadian Marijuana Exports http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15339.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on March 16, 2004 at 08:54:12 PT
What are our Trade Reps spending money on
What a sham on the American Taxpayer. How come the only transfer of information is in the area of law enforcement. 
 
What about all the trade reps. and lawmakers that travel to other countries on the Taxpayers money. Where are the Environmentalist groups that are screaming about Global Warming and the destruction of rain forests. I have never heard one lawmaker report on how China and Europe is producing Hemp Oil that is nutritious, Paper and clothing. Or how this country could produce the machinery and technicians needed to make Hemp production profitable. How can President Bush say they hate us because we are Free. When Communist countries are allowed to grow and make Billions from Hemp while our Farmers are not allowed to do the same.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18489.shtml 
http://www.leap.cc
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Comment #2 posted by jose melendez on March 15, 2004 at 18:51:42 PT
so much depends on perspective
"The crooks have used the border as a shield,"Yes, and some are issued badges along with their guns and pay . . .
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on March 15, 2004 at 13:06:10 PT:
And I'll bet lots of Canux feel soooo safe, now
Just think; how much of this 'cooperation' is tied to eventual supplanting of Canadian protections of privacy and national sovereignty?Yes, Canux, your police want to have the Canadian equivalents of what we have here. No knock warrants. The ability to shoot suspects and claim the drug war as an excuse. Forfeiture. Secret home invasions. Sharing of personal information to be entered into a database which you have no knowledge about and which could prove deleterious if it found it's way into the wrong hands...and that sort of thing ALWAYS does happen.That's the game, Canux. That's what's happening; this is all just the precursors to an eventual *anschluss* of Canada and the US. And many of your cops and bureaucrats and pols are all for it.Are you?
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