Surveillance operations have raised alarms after placing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a former cabinet minister in proximity to Asian organized crime suspects.

By Sam Cooper | The Bureau

Summary

Current and former law enforcement officials from the U.S. and Canada allege Canada’s federal government may have systematically obstructed investigations into high-level Asian organized crime. American agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, are said to be alarmed by suspected corruption and legal loopholes in Canada, leading them to sideline Canadian law enforcement from sensitive investigations and intelligence-sharing.

Several former Canadian law enforcement officials acknowledge that while U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Canada’s approach to fentanyl trafficking and border security are politically motivated and often harsh, they highlight a troubling reality: Canada is increasingly seen as compromised, either unable or unwilling to tackle entrenched transnational criminal networks. Both American and Canadian sources describe a country where law enforcement agencies are in disarray, hindered by suspected infiltration at the highest levels, which obstructs investigations into billion-dollar drug networks and money laundering operations.

The troubling allegations from surveillance operations, intelligence experts and law enforcement officials on both sides of the border reveal a Canada that has become a national security threat so captured by its vulnerabilities that it cannot be trusted by its neighbours or partners in the Five Eyes alliance, yet Canadians remain largely unaware of how far their country has fallen.

The severity of the issues include:

Allegations of Corruption and Obstruction:

• U.S. and Canadian sources describe Canada as increasingly compromised and unable or unwilling to confront transnational criminal networks.
• Concerns about corruption within Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies extend beyond the case of Cameron Ortis, a former top police intelligence official convicted of leaking sensitive information.

Distrust and Reduced Collaboration:

• U.S. officials suspect corruption within Canadian border authorities, yet those suspects allegedly retained their security clearances.
• The U.S. has scaled back collaboration with Canadian law enforcement due to growing distrust and perceived incompetence within Canadian agencies.

Political Leadership Concerns:

• Surveillance operations have raised alarms about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a former cabinet minister being in proximity to Asian organized crime suspects.
• Concerns related to ultra-rich criminals attempting to influence prominent political figures.

Intelligence Withholding:

• American agencies began withholding intelligence more than a decade ago due to repeated incidents where top-secret files were jeopardized or blocked by Canadian legal demands.
• Briefings from senior Washington officials showed intelligence being shared with Five Eyes partners, excluding Canada, which was embarrassing.

The Case of Sam Gor:

• The U.S. government is particularly alarmed by the activities of Sam Gor, a powerful Triad drug trafficking network with links to Chinese Communist Party operatives.
• Canada’s largest-ever money laundering investigation, E-Pirate, was linked to Sam Gor but collapsed in 2019 after a police witness was exposed, leading to a high-profile failure in federal court.

Conclusion:

• Canadian law enforcement is seen as hamstrung by legal and bureaucratic issues, leading to a perception that Canada is not a serious partner in combating transnational crime.

Read the original version of this report by The Bureau at the publisher’s website here.