HUNTER: With friends like the Canadian Border Services, we don't need enemies
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What does the Canada Border Services Agency do? Really.
Not much, if recent headlines are any indication.
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Daily, some accused criminal or another is reported to have slipped over the border to commit some crime or another in this country. CBSA does not appear remotely ashamed of dropping the ball on the safety of Canadians.
“The most important thing for the CBSA is not to appear racist,” one cop told me. “The fact that some of the illegals coming in are here to commit violent crimes is besides the point.”
If allegations against him are true, take Mexican national Javier Luis Martinez-Hernandez, 29, of London. He was charged a week ago for his alleged role in a $29-million cocaine bust in the Toronto area. Martinez-Hernandez is subject to a removal order issued by CBSA, cops said.
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Of course, the agency wouldn’t provide any details because … uh, privacy.
But a fair question to ask is this: How did he get into the country?
In January, three men from Chile were busted after a botched carjacking in York Region. The three amigos allegedly rammed the victim’s car from behind.
When the victim exited the vehicle, he was faced with two men wearing masks — one was brandishing a gun. The thugs attempted to steal the vehicle but failed and fled with other items of the victim’s property.
Two were busted in Toronto while the third suspect was nabbed by Homeland Security in Texas and returned to York Regional Police.
Charged are Kevin Espinoza Rojas, 25, Martin Tapia Gonazlez, 22, and Carlos Carvajal Moya, also 22. They’ve been hit with charges of armed robbery, stolen property, and unlawful use of a credit card. None of the charges have been tested in court.
But a fair question to ask is this: How did they get into the country?
Last week, I wrote about the industrious Lajos Galamb.
Despite his murky immigration status, the 24-year-old Hungarian — on house arrest since 2023 — allegedly went on a break-in frenzy. He was hit with 193 charges in a year’s worth of break-and-enters in Toronto.
You can toss in charges for another 195 break-ins in Waterloo, Guelph, London, York, Peel, and Durham regions. While under house arrest.
Toronto Police Association vice-president Brian Callanan could be forgiven for asking: “How many charges do police have to lay before this guy is held in custody?”
A lot is the correct answer. In 2018, he was busted with two fellow Hungarians for stealing metal from property in the Cobourg area. Bizarrely, there is no record of his arrests, charges or immigration status.
Galamb got a conditional discharge and probation for theft under in 2023. He also has matters from 2021 and 2022 still before the courts.
None of the most recent charges have been tested in court.
But a fair question to ask is this: Why is he still in the country?
More frightening, it isn’t just property crimes that get the old blow-off from the CBSA and the courts. Hardcore violent crimes also fall under the sinister see-no-evil compact.
For example, the June 2023 rubout of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, who was shot to death by three men allegedly at the behest of the Indian government. The trio were allegedly in Canada on student visas. The case is still before the courts.
Citing the Privacy Act, CBSA told The Toronto Sun the agency could not comment on specific immigration cases but said that “all persons seeking entry to Canada are examined by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and must demonstrate they meet the requirements to enter.”
CBSA added that admissibility is based on the information available at entry. Travellers must have documentation explaining their reason for coming to Canada and other relevant information.
“If information comes to light that an individual who was granted entry to Canada may be inadmissible, the CBSA can launch an investigation and initiate appropriate enforcement action,” the agency said. “The CBSA has a legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals who are inadmissible to Canada under the IRPA.”
The CBSA said the most serious inadmissibility issues include “criminality, national security, war crimes, humans rights violations and organized crime.”
Game, set and match, right?
If allegations against them prove to be true, the above cases are just the tip of the iceberg. It appears someone thought it was a good idea to let these people into Canada.
Again, the question is: What are they doing here? And what is the CBSA doing about it?
@HunterTOSun
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