Opinion: Foreign police broke Canadian law — and it keeps happening

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeOpinionOp-Ed Opinion: Foreign police broke Canadian law — and it keeps happening Robert J. Currie: DEA agents operating in B.C. not only broke the law, they also violated Canada’s sovereignty. It was the latest example of a troubling trend — and foreign police seem to keep getting away with it. Author of the article: By Robert J. Currie Published Sep 24, 2026 Last updated 1 hour ago 4 minute read Join the conversation Agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency conducting surreptitious policing on Canadian soil is an international incident. Or, at least, it should be. But will it be? writes Robert J. Currie. PHOTO BY JOHANNES EISELE /AFP/Getty Images Article content Re: DEA operated ‘illegally’ in Canada, B.C. Supreme Court judge says Article content Last Wednesday, the B.C. Supreme Court quietly published a decision that was rendered in April. In the heavily redacted United States of America v. Named Person, the judge declined to order committal of a “Named Person” for extradition to the U.S. to face drug charges — an unusual ruling, but not unheard of. Article content Article content Article content As first reported in The Vancouver Sun last week, the judgment contained an extraordinary finding: extradition was being denied because the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had been using Named Person as an informant, and later as an operative, in Canada — without the permission or supervision of the government of Canada. The relevant protocols for police co-operation were ignored. In fact, the DEA agents involved had committed crimes on Canadian soil, specifically by counselling and assisting Named Person in a conspiracy to launder drug money. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Not only was Canadian law broken, but Canada’s sovereignty was violated. Article content Justice Catherine Murray described this as “shocking and flagrant.” And it was that, but what might also shock Canadians is that this is only the latest instance of foreign police violating Canadian law and sovereignty. And they seem to keep getting away with it. Article content To back-up a bit, many countries co-operate with each other in suppressing…