Finance committee  That is very difficult to estimate, because unfortunately organized crime doesn't file annual returns as to what they've smuggled. We do keep statistics on our interceptions and on the increase and decrease of seizures. I don't have a number for overall volumes, but when you compare to the overall seizures that are directed towards the United States, the proportion of marijuana being smuggled into the United States is a fraction of what is produced domestically in the U.S. or smuggled across their southern border.

Finance committee  I don't have a number. I would have to go back to our threat documents to look at that.

Finance committee  Precisely. The action plan, under the elements of cross-border law enforcement, includes two very key components. One is the regularization of Shiprider. One of the commitments the governments of Canada and the U.S. have made is with regard to ratifying Shiprider and deploying these operations.

Finance committee  I don't think the concept is that clean. I think what we have to look at, particularly with respect to Shiprider.... We know what it does; we've deployed it and we know how it works. In Shiprider, it's a planned operation, in most cases, where officers from both countries are cross-designated and they are co-crewed.

Finance committee  Correct. And that is why, if you look at the legislation, it confines us to the maritime environment. The framework agreement specifies that there are only rare instances when a pursuit can be continued on land. That might be a situation where surveillance commenced in the United States, the vessel was followed into Canadian waters, it hit the shore, and the suspect fled.

Finance committee  Yes. On an annual basis, the integrated border enforcement teams conduct a Canada and United States threat assessment. What we identified was that cross-border crime is a two-way problem. Contraband flows in both directions. For example, marijuana and ecstasy flow from Canada to the United States, cocaine from the U.S. into Canada.

Finance committee  The U.S. Coast Guard is a maritime law enforcement entity. It has a multi-mission that also includes search and rescue. They have a very significant presence. The RCMP has a much smaller presence. But the beauty of the construct we've developed here is that it's completely reciprocal and the commissioner and the commandant decide how these operations will be deployed.

Finance committee  When we deploy these operations, they are based on threat and need. When we do deploy them, there is an equal number of officers and they are cross-designated. The U.S. cannot decide on its own to cross-designate officers to operate in Canada. It's under the authority of the commissioner to grant U.S. officers that cross-designation authority, as it is set out in the framework agreement and in the legislation.

Finance committee  I would just add that the framework agreement specifies from a Canadian perspective that members of the RCMP and our police officers are empowered under provincial legislation. There is no other federal law enforcement. As a consequence, CBSA would not fall under the framework agreement.

Finance committee  Perhaps I could speak to that. I think what we've done with the Shiprider framework agreement.... It was one of the first times we tried this innovative law enforcement practice along the Canada-U.S. border, so we were mindful of concerns that may have been raised around sovereignty and so forth.

Finance committee  I have no opening remarks, but I look forward to questions, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Finance committee  No. It's my understanding there were no funding requirements attached to the budget.

Finance committee  I think it's important to recognize that today the RCMP conducts on-water operations in shared waters with the United States. Because law enforcement in Canada and the U.S. respect jurisdiction, our ability to pursue criminals across the border is limited by the fact that we are empowered under Canadian law and not U.S. law.